Red Thread
by Soraya21
Summary: An atypical day at the Yuuki household.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: To-Love-Ru Darkness is the copyright property of its creators, Kentaro Yabuki and Saki Hasemi. Thus, I hold no rights regarding the characters used in this fanfiction story.**

**And just as a side note for anyone interested, explanations for various references and other Japanese terms which are scattered throughout this whole story can now be found at the bottom of each chapter.**

**Let's see, I guess this story takes place in some alternate timeline before chap. 12 of TLR:D.**

* * *

The radiant light filtering into his room has become too much for the slumbering teen as Yuuki Rito gives a great yawn and groggily stretches. For the first time in ages, he is able to wake up like normal people do, with absolutely no surprises to arouse his upper and nether regions into full attention.

Even after waking he continues to lie lazily in bed, enjoying this rare moment's peace for as long as it will last. Though all good things must eventually come to an end, and so he gets up in order to start his day.

But the reign of silence continues even after stepping out into the hallway. It isn't until Rito comes downstairs and wanders into the living room does he finally spot a familiar figure kneeling by the back porch outside.

Upon hearing the glass door slide open, Momo Velia Deviluke shifts her attention away from the garden and turns, smiling brightly upon seeing him, "Good morning, Rito-san. Or should I say good afternoon? You certainly seem well-rested this lovely day."

He rubs the back of his head, feeling slightly abashed though glad that someone else was here besides him, "Morning, Momo. Yeah, guess I overslept a bit more than I should have. Just where is everybody?"

"I'm sure you remember, Rito-san, that Onee-sama had official Deviluke business to attend to and left with Zastin-san to the far side of this galaxy. She won't be returning until sometime next week."

"Oh yeah, now that you mention it..." he recalls after a bit of thought, "How about Nana? I haven't been seeing her around lately either. She also went with them?"

"Nana left again this morning with her new friend from our class at school. They've been hitting it off rather well, so who knows how long she'll be gone."

Momo moves to stand and a strange spike of anxiety arises within Rito. He dismisses the impulse and strains his ears, trying to pick up any familiar activity coming from either the kitchen or laundry area, "Mikan. Mikan's out too?"

"Mikan-san stepped outside just a few moments ago in order to do some errand shopping. I'd imagine she won't be back until later this evening," she coolly replies while walking towards him and the teen unwittingly retracts back; that same uneasy feeling growing with each deliberate step she takes.

"Ah, Celine..! Just where did that girl run off to..?!" he questions with rising tension as he scans the ground for signs of the petite flower girl.

"Celine-san didn't want to be cooped up in this house all the time, and so she's tagging along with your sister for today."

Momo comes to stand directly in front of him and Rito gulps heavily, his body straight and stiff, as the final pieces fall into place, "Then, that would mean..."

"That's right. It's just the two of us here. All alone~"

"I-I-I'm going out to..!" he suddenly blurts out and backs away, wholly thankful that unlike their prior close-knit encounters, he still has plenty of space to do so.

"Oh my, leaving already?"

His mind on overdrive, Rito conjures up an urgent excuse on the fly, "I just remembered that Saruyama asked me to do something really, really important for him..!"

"With Saruyama-senpai?" Momo clarifies and he nods vigorously in response. A few beats pass by in mindful silence, then her mouth slips into a secret smile, "You needn't fret over that, Rito-san. Since you were indisposed at the time of his visit, senpai was gracious enough to push your appointment with him back for a later date."

"Huh..? R-Really?" Rito stutters, dumbfounded, as he tries recalling his most recent conversations with his friend, _"Did we really make plans to get together this weekend..?"_

"What seems to be the matter? It's also as if you don't believe me. Is there any reason for that, I wonder?" Momo openly questions while leaning forward and peeling up at him, a mischievous grin still adorning her face. All Rito can do is flounder about like a fish out of water as she continues grilling him with her inquiries, "Ah yes. Senpai also mentioned wanting to retrieve a certain item of his currently in your possession. However, when pressed for the details, he couldn't provide a clear enough answer as to what that something was. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

He stands there, fully aware of what she's probably referring to.

* * *

_ "Yo, Rito! Glad you could make it."_

_ "What's up, Saruyama? It's weird of you to call me to your place all of a sudden."_

_ "Actually I needed you here as my eyewitness, someone who'll watch me make this pledged declaration," Saruyama stated with a dead serious look on his face and Rito was left wondering what this was all about. Yet upon catching sight of the erotic magazines neatly bundled up on the table besides them, he could already tell that this was one conversation he wouldn't end up liking. Those expectations were soon fulfilled as his friend pumped his fist into the air and wholeheartedly proclaimed, "From this day forward. I, Saruyama Kenichi, hereby swear off all porn, all so that I can remain faithful to my true love, Riko-chan!"_

_ After several long beats of awkward silence, Rito blinked in stupefied disbelief, "You had me come for such a stupid reason..."_

_ Put off by the lackluster reaction, Saruyama's face lit up with sudden realization. He reached over and placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder, his expression full of sympathetic pity, "So that's how it is. It's tough for you to see Riko-chan as someone more than just your distant cousin, isn't it? But don't you see? She's perfect in every possible way!"_

_ "I seriously don't want to hear this..." Rito replied with obvious pain, wishing to god that he didn't have to deal with these issues regarding his other self._

_ "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you never noticed? Her luscious hair, those sweet cheeks, those kissable lips..." Saruyama rattled on, getting lost in the wondrous form that was his first crush. His face becoming more and more perverted with each passing second, he made various squeezing motions with his hands while picturing Riko's finer features, "Those supple boobs, that sinful waistline, those huggable hips, that heart-shaped hiney... G-ha, ghaha-haa..!"_

_ Mortified, Rito wanted nothing more than to crawl into a small hole somewhere and die. His friend had started off innocently enough, but to degrade into this…_

_ Saruyama soon snapped back to his senses and sloppily wiped the excess drool from his mouth, "Anyways, Rito. I might fall into temptation again if my whole stash were still here at the house. So you have to take these and keep them safe for me!"_

_ "Why not just throw 'em away?"_

_ As if getting shot straight through the heart, Saruyama gripped his chest in dramatic fashion, the mere thought pure blasphemy to his ears, "Like I could ever do that..! Think before you say something so ridiculous, man!"_

_ "Okay, then try looking for someone who'll be glad to actually have them," Rito then suggested, having serious doubts if his friend would be able to uphold his newfound oath for even a week._

_ "Ritooo..! You can't even help out your dear old pal on this one?"_

_ "It's not that... it's just that I don't really need those type of magazines anymore. Or it's more like they'll be wasted on me," Rito answered, hesitant yet direct. After being bombarded by the real thing on almost a daily basis, mere nudie pictures barely gave him so much as a raise anymore. Not to mention that he was a lot more worried about the repercussions should any of the girls find Saruyama's porn stash. Mikan, he figured, would be the least of his concerns; Lala's reaction would be totally unpredictable; Nana would probably leave him in a world of hurt; and Momo... well, he didn't even want to consider what would be in store for him if she ever found out._

_ Yet, Saruyama's main focus was on Rito's apparent disinterest in receiving his precious collection. Awestruck, he continued staring at his friend, unable to comprehend either the logic or reasoning. Then, an unbelievable thought clicked in his mind._

_ "I see, I get it now..." Saruyama stated as he began lowly chuckling like a madman possessed. Then suddenly he snapped, whipping an accusing finger at Rito with righteous, adolescence fury, "Admit it! For all these years, your so-called issue with women was just an act so that you could flaunt your superiority over me! Having girls like Haruna and Lala-chan ripe for the picking yet not doing a single thing about it? Unbelievable! Now I know that whenever I turn around, you're secretly laughing it up behind my back! Damn it all! You bastard! Betrayer! Enemy of single men everywhere!"_

_ "Calm down, Saruyama! You're talking crazy talk now..!"_

_ "Whatever happened to my best bud who could barely string two words together in front of a girl? Just where did that shy, modest guy go? It's like I don't even know you anymore..!" Saruyama mournfully cried, his anger fizzling out and shifting into manic depression. Hesitant, Rito awkwardly patted his friend's back in an effort to console him, "And why are you the lucky one who ends up getting all the girls? It's not fair, damn it! Especially when you compare our faces with one another, there's just no contest there..!"_

_ Rito stopped his patting long enough to give a look of mild disgust; so the truth finally came out. He hoped his friend wasn't implying that he was the uglier of the two. Because in his own modest opinion, most people would sooner regard Saruyama as the wingman to his ace._

_ Looking at his pitiful state, Rito eventually caved in, "Fine, I get it..! If you really want me to, then I'll take them off your hands."_

_ "Really? Thanks a bunch, Rito! Even though it's frustrating, I really can't think of a better person who I want to leave my prized collection to," Saruyama said with utmost confidence, his attitude pulling a complete 180. Rito found himself giving a slight half-smile in return; his friend truly did respect and care for him in his own special, perverted way. Of course, this uplifting moment didn't last long as Saruyama leaned in close and added with a sneaky grin, "Just to give you a heads-up here, but I'll be needing to look at my magazines from time to time. Flipping through the pages, checking to see if they're still in top quality, making sure you're taking care of them properly for me... things like that. No problems there, right?"_

_ Sighing over the obvious loophole, Rito had figured it was a little too good to be true. Though he supposed all this was better than having his friend still mad at him, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Saruyama..."_

_ He then reached over to collect the stash but they were snatched up at the very last second. With tumbling hands, Saruyama proceeded to tearfully hug the porn magazines against his chest, "Thank you for the many wonderful years..!"_

_ Rito could only watch the 17-year-old virgin's weepy good-bye: such a sad sight to see and an even sadder life to live through. Vaguely, he wondered if the two of them should be given a moment alone. Yet that had been an unnecessary thought as his friend soon stopped bawling and adopted a brave look on his face._

_ "Rito—!" he exclaimed with fire in his eyes. Saruyama implored him – not as his best friend, but as a fellow man fighting the good fight – to always treasure his most cherished possession, "Let these magazines be as good to you as they have been for me..!"_

_ Saruyama held out the porn with both hands and his head bowed down like he was offering the holy bible. Despite having none of his dynamic flair, even Rito could feel the force coursing within as he held the fabled stash onto his chest and rose to a stand. Yes! These semi-phenomenal, nearly cosmic powers were his to command, to controlllll..! (1)*_

_ Well, not really. He just thought it best to play along with his friend so that he could finally be allowed to leave._

* * *

Rito blinks out of his recollection. In the end, he took the stack of porn home with him after all. Now they're safely tucked away and collecting dust somewhere in the darkest reaches of his closet.

Saruyama is his best friend after all. So at the very least, Rito can do this much and will allow him to continue chasing the dream, even though there's absolutely no way in hell that it will ever come true.

Still, if Saruyama were to ever find out that he was Riko...

* * *

_ "Say, Rito. I've never asked you for much, right? So do me this huge favor and live your life as a girl forever."_

* * *

A violent shiver runs through him. Knowing Saruyama, he was totally capable of enacting that very scenario.

"So then. Going by your silence, would that be an affirmative yes to my question?"

Looking back into the eyes of the girl whom he wants to conceal this matter from the most, Rito is caught off guard and blurts out the first thought that comes to mind, "They're magazines—For sports, I mean! From sumo to soccer: he's really into all kinds of physical activities..!"

"Hmmmm... sports magazines, is it?" she practically purrs out and Rito would have face-palmed himself if he could. Just why did he tell a lie that was hitting it way too close to the truth?

"A-At any rate..! I should probably drop in on Saruyama and make sure he's okay with pushing our meeting back for a later day."

"Not to tell you how to go about this, Rito-san, but wouldn't it be more convenient to call him over the phone?"

"I'd really like to... But, um, you see... he's the sort of guy that doesn't believe in them," Rito fumbles while blatantly stating an unreasonable fact about his best friend. Then, upon noticing his poor choice in wording, he hastily rectifies, "Ah, I mean—! He doesn't have a cell or anything like that at his house!"

"Oh my. Quite the outdated type, isn't he? It must be tough to get a hold of Saruyama-senpai whenever the need arises," Momo comments, still taking things in stride.

"Yeah, well, what else is there to say..? He's always been a real hassle to deal with, that guy," Rito replies, half-truthful in his remark as he has just about tapped his reserve of creative excuses dry, "So it's probably best if I get going now..."

Several long beats of nerve-wrecking silence pass while he anxiously awaits her final verdict. Then, something Rito himself was no longer expecting happens as she lowers her gaze and reluctantly steps away from his personal space.

"If that's the case, then I shouldn't be keeping you. But maybe you should consider dressing more appropriately before heading out? Well, not that I really mind," Momo adds, fully appreciating the view before her. Feeling incredibly self-conscious with the way she's hungrily eying him, the teen looks down at himself and realizes that he's still in his striped boxers and wearing only a sleeveless undershirt, "Or perhaps these are signs of Rito-san awakening as an exhibitionist?"

Furiously blushing, he shrinks away and instinctively cover his privates while Momo covers her own mouth and stifles a chuckle, finding his reaction rather humorous.

"Just what are you getting so embarrassed for? It's not like this is anything I haven't already seen before," she delightfully reminds him, her left hand placed against his chest while other snakes its way downward, "Although, such a large reaction would be quite understandable if you were revealing just a tiny bit more..."

But before she can happily find the fabric of his boxers, the red-faced teen bolts away upon reaching his limit, babbling inconsistencies and gibberish while beating a hasty retreat back into the house.

Alone upstairs inside his room, Rito's mind begins to wander as he sits down and reflects, feeling like a complete idiot now for his earlier behavior around Momo. Briefly, he wonders how all this snowballed into a situation where he can't even spend a relaxing weekend at his own home, _"No use helping things now, I guess..."_

He soon finishes changing and makes his way back downstairs. Before leaving, Rito announces his departure in a half-cautious, half-weary tone of voice, "I'll be going now, Momo..."

"Have a safe trip," she readily responds from the backyard outside.

Sparing the princess one last glance from across the living room, he stops upon noticing something peculiar about her. She too is no longer dressed in her usual attire, rather she's now wearing a pair of worn overalls and has the ends of her hair tied back into two tiny pigtails. If he isn't mistaken those clothes belong to Nana, which is made all the more obvious by the way they stretch and tent across one particular area of the younger twin's body.

Curiosity gets the better of Rito as he steps back onto the porch and offhandedly asks, "What's with the new getup?"

"Why? Do you like?" Momo coyly replies while striking a pose. He stops and considers; it's definitely a new look for her, but that sort of ragged, sporty style seems to suit Nana's image a bit better...

_ "Hey, hold on..!" _Rito shakes his head, stopping himself from getting further derailed by her, "That's not it! I'm asking why you bothered changing into different clothes for."

"Isn't that obvious? It's because this outfit is more suitable for handling outdoor chores and other manual labor."

Musing momentarily, he blinks and vaguely recalls what Momo had been doing the first time he saw her out on the porch, "Wait a sec. Does this have something to do with the garden? Are there any problems with the plants there?"

"It's the soil actually. Many from the flowerbed have been making complaints about feeling malnourished as of late. Upon further study, it's seems that remnants of Celine-san's original form still lay deep underground and are interfering with those kids' growth. All these ramped weeds here in the yard are likely a result of this."

"Oh, so that's what it was... I've been wondering why the ground's been so rough and dry no matter how long I set the sprinklers on," replies Rito, only son of the Yuuki household, future king of the entire universal cosmos and gardener extraordinaire. Having forgotten about his fabricated plans for today, he ponders briefly over what to do and reaches a decision. Even before Lala had given Celine to him as a birthday present, he's usually been the one charged with tending to the lawn. So this is really his own responsibility, and most of all it wouldn't sit right with him to leave this problem entirely up to Momo, "It sounds like this might be more than one person can handle. Do you need an extra hand?"

"It's nice of you to offer, Rito-san, but I'm sure I'll be able to manage somehow. So please go and have fun at Saruyama-senpai's. You wouldn't want to be late."

"Ah, ahahahaa... yeah, about that..." he humorlessly trails off while scratching the back of his head. Since there's no easy way to admit this, he simply comes out and says it, "Sorry, Momo. About earlier. Actually, that was a lie."

Yet the princess hardly reacts to the sudden news, a slight widening of her eyes being the only real change to her seamless expression. It's as if she didn't clearly hear him, or maybe it's more like she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.

Feeling the need to further elaborate, he continues, "You know, what I mentioned earlier about needing to go over to Saruyama's place, and about the whole cellphone thing too: none of that is really true. Though I probably need to contact him real soon, seeing as how he did drop by earlier for some reason... But anyways, I'm pretty sure we didn't have any set plans for today, or at least it couldn't have been all that important. So yeah, I'm free to help out if you still need me to..."

His apology ending on a rather flat note, Rito awaits her response; she must think badly of him after being told such a bold-faced lie. But against all expectations, Momo continues to mutely stare at him which in turn leaves the teenager relatively puzzled, not knowing if he can clarify this matter any more than what had already been said. Moreover, he's starting to get this weird feeling that explaining everything to her had been utterly pointless to begin with.

His hunch is soon verified as the princess' calm starts to unravel, her mouth twitching up until she finally breaks into a light, merry laughter, "Honestly, Rito-san~! There's no need for you to explain yourself to me. If you're going to apologize, then I should as well for going along with your fib."

Dumbstruck, his mouth works on and off for a bit before he's able to reorganize his thoughts, "Wait, what? But how could you... Hold on, so you knew..?"

"Not once did you find it strange? You should be more mindful with these sort of things or else I'll never feel at ease; what with Rito-san being too good of a person as to believe just about anything," she chides in a good-natured manner. Even still, Rito feels flushed with embarrassment, rebuking himself for being so slow on the uptake. Meanwhile, Momo's gaze is still set on his face, the look in her eyes softening as she continues to regard him, "Yet, despite how unbecoming it is for Deviluke's future king, it's those exact qualities which I would never consider changing about you..."

Rito averts his gaze as warmth spreads across his entire face; this raising sentiment just has to be extra embarrassment from all the stuff Momo's been saying. He scratches his chin with a finger and distractingly asks, "But how did you know? About Saruyama's collection, I mean."

"I didn't. It's just that senpai strikes me as being that sort of transparent person," the princess answers much to his surprise. She hasn't even been properly introduced to his entire inner circle until now, yet her insight on his perverted friend was so accurate that it was kind of scary, "But are you certain with wanting to spend your free day helping me? I had also considered simply asking for Onee-sama's assistance after she arrives back on earth. If it were her, she can whip something up that will take care of this problem in no time at all."

It takes quite a bit of willpower on Rito's part to not outwardly blanch at the very thought. From an objective standpoint, all of Lala's inventions are downright astonishing to say the least. But he can never come to appreciate them after being on the constant receiving end of their inevitable disasters, "I'm totally sure. And also, let's try not involving Lala in this whole mess if we don't have to. If worse comes to worst, then it may be alright to ask for her help...

… _and I'm talking about a huge maybe here," _he silently finishes and prays that such a time will never come to pass.

"I see... If you insist," Momo replies, putting the matter to rest. Retrieving a notebook laying on the back porch, she flips it open and reveals a diagram of the backyard with various sections marked-off in red, "Then here are some of the dead roots I've managed to find so far..."

She then proceeds to indicate the location and depth of each root, instructing Rito while he goes about working the fields alone with the only shovel at their disposal.

For once, he's rather glad for their shortage of gardening tools since mindless, back-breaking labor is something he'd much rather prefer over fending off the carnal advances of Deviluke's third princess. But strangely enough, Momo remains on her best behavior and focuses entirely on the task at hand, missing several prime opportunities where she would usually take quick advantage of.

He continues to dig for hours on end, toiling away until the sky's color settles into a dim blue haze.

"You must be getting tired, Rito-san. How about calling it a day?"

With a final stab of his shovel, Rito turns to see Momo holding out a towel for him. Dog-tired and covered in dirt, he gratefully takes it, wiping away the sweat from his forehead and neck before asking, "So how is it, Momo? I know I haven't covered much ground yet, but am I making any progress?"

"There are still many roots spanning underneath the entire yard, and it will likely take a few more days before we can unearth the whole lot of them. But there's less cause for concern now, since the soil is already beginning to regain its nutriment and vitality," she explains, her tone becoming less formal as she relays a personal message to him, "Everyone from the garden would also like to thank you: not only for your efforts today, but for all your tender care throughout the years."

"That's good to hear. But I've just been doing what anyone else would normally do, so it's really nothing special."

"Always so modest. But I suppose this is step 1 of how the charming Rito-san weaves his way into the hearts of so many women."

Rito stands there, at a loss on what to say. He's always been left feeling hopelessly inept whenever the topic of his love life is brought up, mostly because he doesn't think himself to be as great as Momo makes him out to be. A harem full of girls with himself at the very center – to satisfy everyone in such a manner just has to be a pipe dream, something that's way beyond his capabilities.

Those weighty thoughts persist even as he heads towards the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. But the only thing that awaits him there is disappointment and dismay.

Both the pantry and refrigerator are practically barren: a quarter loaf of rock-hard bread, a single slab of reeking salmon, and a half carton of expired milk which makes a thick, slushy sound when shaken are just a few of the inedible items remaining.

"_No wonder Mikan left to do some shopping. There's barely anything to eat around here."_

Speaking of his sister, Rito spots a taped note with his name eligibly written in her neat handwriting. He joyously reaches out and takes the attached lunchbox from the back end of the fridge, figuring that it's probably leftovers from breakfast earlier this morning. Yet while holding it in his hand, Rito notes how remarkably light the container is and upon opening up the lid, he sees exactly the reason why that is.

The contents inside had been thoroughly raided and devoured of any scraps remaining. His smile quickly turns upside down, feeling rather agitated by this turn of events, _"Putting it back without even leaving so much as a scrap behind... Just who in the world does that anyways?"_

"Oh my, such a dreary face you're making. What seems to be wrong, Rito-san?"

"Momo... Nothing much, it's just my lunch," he replies before sourly displaying the eaten container to her. It doesn't take long before she puts two and two together and solves the mystery of Rito's disappearing lunchbox.

"Geez, that Nana. Doing whatever she wants without any consideration again..." Momo mutters, more to herself than to anyone else. A few beats pass by in thoughtful consideration, then she extends an unexpected offer, "Well, if you're alright with it, I can go ahead and prepare some supper for you."

"You know how to cook?" Rito questions before he clings at the repressed memory of Lala's homemade space contraption. Not to say the food wasn't edible, it's just that its mystifying, horrific appearance makes him quickly lost his appetite. And unfair as it is, his mind can't help but associate Momo's unbeknownst cuisine skills to that of her eldest sister's, "You don't have to go through all the trouble..! And besides, I'm not even all that hungry to begin with..!"

Though he may have been more convincing if not for the sudden growl resounding from the pit of his stomach. Momo, however, appears to realize the root of his indecision and gives a look of saintly understanding, "No need to be so reserved, Rito-san. Though it's very unfortunate, I've reflected since our time at the beach and now realize that there are still those who aren't yet accustomed to eating certain extraterritorial life forms. But with this, you're sure to be satisfied."

Taking out her D-Dial cell phone, Momo presses a sequence of buttons and out opens a subspace portal where an assortment of green vegetables begins falling into the two empty bowls in front of her. She sets their light meal on the dining table and Rito cautiously pokes his food at every possible angle; it looks like a perfectly normal toss salad to him.

However, as soon as he takes an unsuspecting bite out of the so-called lettuce, "it" gives a blood-curdling shriek!

"Just what the heck is this?!"

Her grin widens as if she had seen a child find the prize inside a cereal box for the first time, "Surprised? As you can see, this particular species has the look of being homegrown yet offers a succulent, exotic taste inside. Oh, and don't worry. These kids may be young, but they're well behaved and were properly educated in their place within the food chain."

"That's not the problem! Why do these veggies sound like they're dying each time you try biting into them?! Isn't that strange?!"

"Please settle down, Rito-san, and listen. This dish happens to be a rare, planetary delicacy which many from all across the galaxy would pay a handsome fortune for. So if you're bothered by the sound, I ask that you simply concentrate on savoring their flavor and pay no heed to their final moments of living."

Giving the alien vegetables a queasy glare, it takes several long seconds before he reluctantly decides to give it another shot. The food is tasty as far as salads go, and weirder stuff than this have happened to him before. So with those thoughts in mind, he takes in a heaping portion and chews the leafy greens very carefully.

_ "Hold it in, just hold it in..! Just ignore the way this piercing noise chatters my teeth and molars..! Or how eating this makes me feel one step closer into practicing cannibalism! Or that every bite sounds like I'm violently raping/murdering an actual living, breathing human bein—!_

It's impossible after all!" Rito cries out while driving his chair back and jolting to a stand, resisting the primal urge to flip the whole dining table over, "Who in their right mind would even want to eat something like this anyways?!"

"Just what are you saying, Rito-san? Perhaps it's because your sister's cooking spoils you so that you've become such a picky eater," Momo incorrectly observes before swallowing a forkful from her own bowl, genuinely seeing nothing wrong with this abnormal setup, "And here I thought this was perfectly acceptable by earth standards. To paraphrase from a popular international cartoon show, 'It's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited!'" (2)*

_ "What kind of crappy anime have you been watching lately?!"_ Rito exclaims inside his head, wondering how she could take such a catchphrase so literally. Now he's starting to regret that Lala had installed her own satellite network which allows their household to watch every channel broadcast worldwide. Thoroughly resigned, he slumps his shoulders and hangs his head, _"God... I give up already..."_

With dispirited steps, he walks out of the kitchen while Momo raises up from her chair and hastily inquires, "Ah, Rito-san..! Aren't you going to finish your salad?"

"You can have my share if you want, Momo, seeing that it'll just go to waste..." Rito replies, unenergetic, while giving a sluggish backwards wave. He drifts back into the living room and flops onto the sofa; if there's no way he can satisfy his stomach, then he may as well watch some TV to take his mind off his hunger.

But the weary teen isn't able to enjoy even a minute of quality programming as Momo comes up from behind the couch, reaches over his outstretched hand and powers off the television set before relieving him of the remote.

Baffled, he turns yet is interrupted by Momo, retribution for earlier on her mind as she aims to satisfy him in a completely different way, "This is a good opportunity. And like you mentioned earlier, I would hate to see it go to waste."

She then pounces on him without warning, pinning Rito down onto the flat of his stomach and straddling the small of his back with little difficulty. That uncommon strength helps remind him once more that she is indeed Lala's little sister.

Frantic and desperate, he cranks his neck around and tries freeing himself from her hold, "M-M-Momo..! What are you—?!"

"Sheesh... This will all be counterproductive if you let yourself tense up like this," she says while leaning her body closer, as if her voice can't carry over the inches of airspace between them. He freezes on the spot as the contour of her figure is pressed robustly onto his back. That size, that elasticity – again, it all drives home the point that she's definitely Lala's not-so-little sister, "Not to worry. I've done this countless times for Onee-sama, so much so that she practically jumps whenever I offer my services to her. And I can tell Nana secretly loves the touch of this modest sensation despite how hard she may try to deny it."

"Wha—!" Rito exclaims as a graphic vision of the three sisters sharing in sibling skinship flutters vividly into his mind and causes pints of blood to rush up into his head.

"You don't have to do a single thing, Rito-san. Just lie there and leave everything to me. I guarantee that it'll be absolutely blissful, just a tiny taste of what heaven's feel (3)* is like~"

To kick, scream, rise, shout, whimper, toss, turn, strike or holler: Rito is unable to do any of these things, only to watch in horror as she descends down upon him.

* * *

All remains quiet within the Yuuki household, everywhere except for the bristle of activity emitting from the downstairs living room.

"Ah..! There..! More to the right..!"

"Over here..?"

"Hoohh... A bit lower, Momo..!"

"Would this be the spot?"

"Mm, no..! Overshot... back where you were..."

"Then, is it right here?"

"Woa—! Yeah, that's it! Easy now..! Just a little..! A-Aghhhhhhh—! Haaaa-haaaa! Oooohh..! Aaaah..."

Having reached the climatic finish, Momo returns to her gentle stroking while looking down at the tired, yet satisfied teen, "So how are you doing under there, Rito-san? Isn't this everything I said it would be?"

"Feels so good..! You weren't kidding, Momo... This really is too addicting."

"I'm happy to hear such praise from my #1 customer. Now if only Onee-sama and Nana were here, then we could have a proper gathering."

"Doing us all at the same time..? Ha-ha... That would be a sight to see."

"As flattering as that is, I believe you're overestimating me. It's unlikely this quality level can be maintained if I tried servicing the three of you simultaneously."

"That might be true... but even if your service were only half as good... It'll still be worth it," Rito earnestly replies, never expecting for the life of him that a simple back massage could feel this amazingly good. It was as if all his troubles had simply disappeared and left him without a care in the world. Liberated and at ease, his mouth continues to run on automatic, no longer restrained by any terrible consequences his private thoughts may bring.

"But to think you would have this much soreness and knots along your back, even more so than Onee-sama."

"No surprise there... Lala having back pain and all."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Isn't it obvious..? With breasts that large... stiff shoulders is pretty much a given."

"Oh my, and here I was merely referring to Onee-sama's habit of hunching over for long hours while completely absorbed in her work. But what a surprise. I didn't think you paid much attention to such things."

"It'd be much weirder not to notice... me seeing her naked so many times."

"Still, this is all very informative. So would you be classified as a breast man, Rito-san?" Momo questions in detail. This is all for future reference of course, and whether or not she'll finally have a reason to be jealous of Nana, "You prefer them big like Onee-sama's and Kotegawa-san's?"

"Size doesn't matter... small ones look and feel just as nice."

"So you like them all equally? As expected of Rito-san, spoken like a true harem king should~" the third princess replies, wickedly twisting his pure and wholesome words to her own liking.

"Hmm... still don't know which is better though... Lala's or Haruna-chan's."

"Oh hooo~ So it's Haruna-chan now, not Sairenji? I hadn't realized the two of you were on such good terms with each other."

"Wish that was true... always wanted us to get closer... but it's still no use."

"I wouldn't say that. If anything, Haruna-san would be very pleased if you started addressing her in a more intimate manner."

"really..? do you really think so?"

"Absolutely. And even if that wasn't the case, I'd do all that I could in order to see this happy scenario come true for you," Momo doubtlessly reassures, pauses and then adds, "Has your opinion of me risen a little?"

"just a bit... since you'll do this anyways... whether or not I say it's okay..."

"Oh my, so surprisingly tough. To think that the ever trusting Rito-san would be so harsh as to doubt a pure maiden's heart," she responds with a bit of jest, _"But I suppose if you had been any easier, we'd already be seeing the formation of your harem by now..."_

"only with you Momo... gotta stay on my toes... you being so tricky and all..."

A few beats pass as her expression turns passive and thoughtful, "... Even still, you don't dislike this side of me, do you?"

"...'course not... something so minor... isn't worth hating over..."

A longer, deeper pause, her hands slowing down to a point where they finally rest to a stop, "... If that's so, then how do you truly feel about me..?"

"...too touchy-feely...want some privacy...and more modesty...always stressful 'round...smells real nice and fresh..."

Her mouth dims into a small, wistful smile; excluding that last part, it's not exactly the most flattering impression she wanted to hear.

"...those things though...don't matter much...not me...

...want...momo...mains...way...she is...

...ays...by...y...

..."

"... And..?" she urges him on with bated breath.

He mumbles something into the cushion that is too soft and inconceivable to hear.

"Rito-san..?" Momo blinks and takes a closer look at him. Yet the only reply the teenager gives is a faint snore as she finds that he had nodded off on her, "Geez... picking such an inconvenient time to fall asleep. And just when I was about to receive the answer from you..."

The minutes tick by in still, reflective silence before she at last closes her eyes and releases a disappointed sigh. With the moment having passed, the only thing she can do now is follow through with her original plans and provide the stressed-out teen with a relaxing massage.

However, Momo can gradually feel her body growing hot all over while her hands freely roam underneath the paper-thin barrier of his cumbersome clothes. Even in the midst of slumber, his distressed, restless face as he squirms away from her most modest touch is just so intoxicatingly cute~!

"It's getting harder and harder, you know, especially when you're this defenseless right in front of me..." she fondly informs him in the tiniest hope that he might hear, "It would be a small thing for me to have my way with you here and now..."

However, any naughty thoughts of foreplay will have to be saved for another day as the sound of the front door creaking open can faintly be heard.

"Rito.! Can you help me bring some of these bags in.?!" Mikan's voice shouts from the front entrance, making her presence known to those within earshot.

"Oh my. It sounds like your sister is back," Momo remarks as she continues carrying on a one-sided conversation with the sleeping teen, "In order to reconfirm the depth of her feelings for you, it could do well if she caught us together like this. Who knows? This may even trigger her into taking action much like before."

"Hey, Rito.!" Mikan yells again before shutting the door and whispering to herself, "Is he not here..?"

A set of footsteps makes its way down the corridor, just moments away from reaching the living room area.

Yet to the teen's good fortune, Momo remembers to restrain herself and sighs with much regret, "Such a shame really. If only I was a little less sincere in wishing you a carefree break today...

Oh well. It wasn't too bad I suppose, our time pleasantly spent idling away," she quietly admits. Then with the tiniest of grins, she whispers softly into his ear in a tone that, had Rito been awake, would have definitely sent shivers down his spine, "Though please erase any silly thoughts that I'll be holding myself back a second time~"

Mikan rounds that last corner just a split second after Momo zips away and takes a proper seat by the kotatsu (4)* adjacent from the sofa.

"Welcome home, Mikan-san. Celine-san," she casually greets while sitting there, the picture of perfect composure.

"Mau, mau!" Celine responds from atop Mikan's shoulder while carrying the all-important leek stick in her hand. She jumps down and trots over, hopping onto the princess' lap as she happily chats about her day.

"I see. For being so cute and adorable, the market seller gave you two an extra discount on all the fruits and vegetables? Such a good girl you are, following exactly what I taught you," Momo praises as she pats the silky petals on top of Celine's head.

Mikan, however, remains standing at the threshold of the living room, taking in the all-too-innocent scene before her, _"This looks way too suspicious... The TV isn't even on, so what could Momo-san possibly be doing with Rito while we were gone?"_

The thought plagues her like bad tooth decay, this strange gut feeling that something provocative just happened here.

Eventually, she pushes those thoughts aside, having reasoned that it can't be anything too extreme since they're still both fully clothed. Upon receiving this minor reassurance, Mikan directs her sight onto her snoozing brother, "As if he didn't get enough sleep already, now Rito's just lounging around the house?"

Not really expecting an answer, she becomes a bit surprised when Momo speaks up for him, "It's perfectly understandable. After all, he's been working hard out in the yard from the moment you left."

Mikan turns her gaze and looks on, amazed, upon spotting the stockpile of roots lying outside, "Woah... so Rito pulled all those out in just a couple of hours?"

"That's right, and he did it all on his own. It goes without saying that anyone would be left feeling both exhausted and famished after an undertaking like this."

As if on cue, a rumbling growl penetrates the airspace and both girls reflexively turn towards the source of the noise. Rito grimaces, turns onto his side and scratches his exposed belly in his sleep; the grumbling of his stomach all but confirming the princess' story.

"Honestly..." Mikan mutters in exasperation while Momo giggles in amusement. Rito can act way too juvenile at times, and it's situations like this which makes her feel embarrassed for him as his younger sister.

Having overlooked the interruption, Momo attracts the other girl's attention with a slight gesture and resumes, "Before, you mentioned there being groceries still out in the front, isn't that right? Instead of disturbing Rito-san's slumber, how about I be the one to carry those into the kitchen?"

"Would you? That would be a big help."

"It's no trouble at all," Momo modestly replies before putting Celine down and rising to her feet.

"The heavier bags are lying outside by the gate, so just take your time bringing them in," Mikan adds while watching her leave the living room. Meanwhile, Celine takes this joyous occasion to jump onto the sleeping teen, giving his face a patented, full-body hug. Her show of affection, however, blocks off his air circulation and soon causes Rito to wake from his nap with a gasping start.

"Gah-haaahh—! Celine! You little rascal..." he grumbles in irritation after prying her away from his face, yet Rito simply can't stay mad at the petite flower girl who's beaming at him with innocent adoration. He then glances sideways and takes notice of his sister's presence inside the room, "Oh, Mikan, welcome back. You're home early."

"Just how long do you think I've been gone for? It's already starting to get dark outside if you haven't noticed," Mikan responds, briefly wondering where her brother's mind was at, before heading towards the kitchen. She would have returned sooner if not for her two classmates whom she had met along the way and insisted on carrying everything she had purchased today. Truthfully, she had been hoping to run into Yami at the shopping district instead; her trans ability just as reliable and her company much more enjoyable than those fickle boys who helped out solely to win her favor.

Just as she places the groceries onto the kitchen counter, another rumbling growl resounds so loudly that Mikan has no trouble hearing it from where she's at. She glances back at her brother, now sitting upright on the sofa with a hand over his stomach and a sheepish expression on his face, "A-haha... So, guess dinner won't be until the usual time, huh? Maybe about an hour from now?"

Mikan resumes sorting out the necessary ingredients for tonight's meal before she puts on her apron, well aware of what Rito really wanted to ask but was being too polite to suggest it outright, "I was planning to start once Nana-san got back. But I guess it can't be helped, what with you being on the verge of starvation and all."

"Really? Thanks a bunch, Mikan! You're a real lifesaver."

"Honestly... it's a small wonder how you'll ever manage to live on your own."

"That's for sure. I don't know what I'd ever do without you," Rito happily admits, unabashed in the slightest at his own confession.

Her cheeks taking on a rosy tint, she turns back around and tries to nonchalantly reply, "Go ahead and rest some more if you're still feeling tired. I'll call you up when dinner's ready, okay?"

Soon enough, the clamoring chorus of pots and pans can be heard as Mikan wastes no time getting to work. With those enticing, sweet aromas whiffing from the kitchen, sleep is the very last thing on Rito's mind, his thoughts freely musing over what tasty dishes his sister is delightfully preparing.

"Mau?"

He glances down at his lap and notices Celine has been curiously looking up at him for quite some time now, "Hm..? Just what are you staring so hard at?"  
"Mau, mau..!" the flower girl exclaims while plucking something from atop his head and proudly showing off her discovery. Looking at the pretty pink strand of hair, it's just about the length of—

"By the way, Rito. How do you feel about having spicy curry for tonight's dinn...ner..."

Yet Mikan trails off after catching sight of the hair strand from across the living room. And being the good little helper that she is, Celine trots over to the brunette and raises both arms up for clearer display, "Mau!"

"..."

A drop of curry sauce drips from the ladle Mikan is holding as a dark look starts eclipsing her face.

"I-I-It's not what you're thinking!" Rito states while waving his hands up in front of himself, a reflex action long engraved into the core of his very being, yet she merely responds by continuing to stare back at him with bland displeasure, "Like I said..! Momo was just giving me a massage earlier because I was so stressed-out! We didn't do anything else besides that!"

"Ah, is that so. Momo-san did?" she replies, deadpanned: her best imitation of Yami yet. All the while Rito is starting to get the distinct impression that his sister's ears have just crossed the line into selective hearing.

Wondering how best to clarify things for her, a peculiar thought suddenly occurs to him, "And just why are you getting so upset for in the first place?"

It was a valid inquiry. He has always known Mikan to be a reasonable, tolerant sister, one whom he's very proud of. So it just seems weird for her to be making a fuss over nothing when there had been many other compromising incidents which had placed his virtue into greater question.

"I'm not mad. Does this look like I'm angry to you?" she acutely remarks and Rito swallows back a ready retort; if not for the rhetorical question, he would have most assuredly disagreed. It seems that pointing out her atypical behavior only served to worsen her mood, "My gosh... every single day's the same with you. Especially with Momo-san no less..."

Mikan returns to the kitchen with Celine in tow, hearing no more of his excuses as she has promptly given up on him. Once again, Rito can feel his "big brother stock" pummeling, and the angry protests from his empty stomach only serves to drag down his spirits. Somehow he just knows that white rice will be the only thing to grace his dinner plate tonight.

"And even after I want through all the trouble to prevent this very thing from happening," Momo comments with groceries in hand as she reenters the living room and walks up besides him, "But I suppose it's just like Rito-san to be so masterful at creating misunderstandings."

Wearily, the teenager casts a sideways glance at her. If not for the fact that his most precious and yet-to-be-used member is in constant danger around Momo, he would have liked to request another massage at a future date, "Don't make it sound like you weren't involved..."

She looks up at him and offers a consolation smile in return, "Cheer up, Rito-san. There's still a chance to clear things up with your sister if we both sat down and talked to her now. Surely this situation can be easily remedied, especially since this is a rare instance where nothing truly occurred."

Despite her good intentions, that does little to reassure Rito as he catches a tiny, yet critical detail regarding her statement, "Wait a second. So you mean all those other timess—!"

He's abruptly stopped in mid-sentence, however, due to Momo hushing him with a delicate finger pressed against his lips, "Though this mouth may say one thing, those wandering hands of yours tell quite the different story. Even Mikan-san will vouch for that."

She then withdraws her finger away, places it besides her own mouth and services him with a cute wink. Rito is left unblinking as he only now begins processing her words, his mind still preoccupied with the minutely feel of her touch, "Y-You gotta be joking. I mean, there's just no way..."

But the more he thought about it, the harder it became to write his sensual exploits off as mere coincidence. Despite his ongoing efforts, his hands and face do always seem to find their way in and around the female anatomy no matter how improbable the situation may be.

He shakes his head and feverishly denies that lone possibility; Momo's just putting these crazy thoughts into his mind so that she can lead him down the sexually deviant path, right?

"Ufufufuu..." she lightly laughs while turning about, tilting her head back and tossing him a suggestive look that spoke otherwise, "If that's what provides you comfort, Rito-san, then please go on and continue thinking just that~"

With that said, she proceeds to take the bags into the kitchen while his gaze can only follow after her. It isn't until she rounds that last corner and vanishes from his line of sight does Rito feel totally drained of energy.

He crashes back onto the sofa, looks to the ceiling and releases a long-drawn sigh that tells the tale of his #1 trouble. After these past few months of living together, Yuuki Rito has come to the resounding conclusion that he'll never be able to handle the third princess of the entire galactic empire, Momo Velia Deviluke.

* * *

**_(1) : From Disney's "Aladdin." Famous last words of the main villain, Jafar. Truth be told, I have no idea what possessed me to put this sort of line in here..._**

**_(2) : Episode 52 of the TV cartoon "The Simpsons." Back during its golden era when the series was still good._**

**_(3) : Official title name for the one of the three main routes in the visual novel "Fate/Stay Night."_**

**_(4) : Basically, a kotatsu is about the height of a coffee table, covered by an overlaying futon and has a built-in heater under it. Nice and toasty during chilly days. For a better idea on what it is and how it's used, look up other anime series like "Minami-ke."_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Special thanks goes out to Dr Facer and Escoger for taking the time to beta-read this chapter.**

**Well here it is again. After nearly a year, "Red Thread" is no longer a simple one-shot. I was a bit worried that chap. 2 of this fic would become outdated by the time of release, but it looks like I lucked out in the end.  
**

**For those interested, chap. 1 has also been revised. No major changes or anything, just cleaned up the passages/dialogue so that it all flows a little better and is a bit less choppy.**

* * *

_"I knew it..."_

Sighing heavily, Yuuki Rito can only hang his head and stare at the bland meal before him, its sheer whiteness seeming to mock the famished teen. All around, the aromatic air of homemade curry fills the kitchen area and tantalizes his hunger even further. Yet here he is, having to settle for a plate of nothing but white rice for dinner tonight.

Sitting on either side of the teenager, Momo throws him a small, sympathetic look while Celine remains completely oblivious to the glum atmosphere, happily slumping up her side dish of cup ramen whilst in her booster seat.

His sister Mikan is the last to arrive as she carries over and places tonight's meal at the dining table, her expression still one of tightly-woven composure and calm. She takes the opposite chair across from her brother, pointedly avoiding his gaze while she distributes the potful of spicy beef curry to everyone but him.

Try as they might, neither he nor Momo were successful in clearing up the incident which occurred earlier today. And so this is the situation they find themselves in, with his sister remaining unmoved by their plight.

"Won't Mikan-san reconsider?" the princess inquires, playing the role of peacemaker as she tries appealing to the younger girl once more, "Surely there's just enough of your delicious curry for everyone here to go around."

"... Maybe so. But there's also Nana-san to think about, you know. What exactly is she going to eat if Rito scoffs down all the leftovers?" the brunette remarks with a question that secretly holds its own answer. There's always the option of taking out the extra batch of curry which she had stored away for tomorrow's use, but bringing that up won't exactly help strengthen her case.

"But don't you feel anything for your brother, sitting there as he is right now? Just look at that sad, gloomy face and tell me you aren't moved in the slightest."

Mikan glances over and a sympathetic frown begins tugging at the corner of her lips. Sure enough, there's a heavy air about Rito as he continues to robotically eat off his dinner plate, too caught up in his own slump while paying little attention to anything else. Depriving him of his meal seems to be working far better than she had ever intended. So maybe, just this once, it'll be okay to ease up on him a little. It couldn't hurt to give him some of her cooking if he's going to be this stupidly depressed about it...

With a quick shake of the head, Mikan stops herself from caving in, _"Rito brought this on himself, so there's no point in feeling sorry for him. And anyways, he has to learn one day for his own good..!"_

As to what that lesson may be, she can't quite pinpoint it out herself. But it likely has something to do with keeping Rito from causing her so much needless grief all the time!

That's right; just recalling some of his past blunders with every other girl besides herself vastly helps to re-harden her heart.

Not to say she isn't upset with Momo as well. But when it all boils down to it, her brother is the one who's ultimately responsible for allowing it all to continue. Even though it probably isn't his fault this time around...

Mikan's gaze falls onto her uneaten plate. Although she can never be too sure what that devious princess is plotting, a small part of her already knows that Rito would never lie to her given the situation, that he wouldn't be so insistent on his innocence if he didn't truly believe in it.

But still, it had irritated the brunette without end that he along with Momo had taken up a unified front and argued against her. That's probably why she continues to stubbornly hold her ground. Even if she's the one being unreasonable here, a thought which is becoming louder and louder within the back of her mind, it's too late to give in now or else she'll only end up looking like the bad guy in the end.

"No means no! So it's pointless for you to keep asking."

"Oh my... Mikan-san as well can be surprisingly strict when the situation calls for it. But I am starting to see your point about holding Rito-san accountable for his actions today," Momo admits and the younger girl lets out a mute breath of relief, glad that this discussion can finally be put to an end. However, contrary to her beliefs, this matter is far from settled as the princess scoots her chair closer to Rito and pleasantly continues, "Since I'm also partly to blame, it's only fair that I should bear half of his burden as well, don't you agree?"

And so, just as the absent-minded teen opens up for another unappetizing bite, a different piece of silverware intercepts his spork and shoots straight into his mouth. The next thing he knew, a zesty, savory sensation assaults his taste buds and brings him back to his senses, "Huh, Momo? What's going on here?"

"I guess one might say that we're comrades-in-arms now, Rito-san~" she says as a way of reply. Yet her ambiguous answer isn't enough for the teen as he grasps the incoming spoon in her hand and brings it down.

"Hold on a second. Mikan's okay with this?" he asks while glancing over her shoulder. But before he can get a good look at his sister, a high-pitched voice chides in and grabs everyone's attention.

"Mau, mau mauuu!"

Not wanting to be the only one left out, Celine imitates the princess' earlier example and shoves a chopstick full of ramen noodles into Rito's mouth while thoroughly enjoying time spent inside the kitchen with her family.

_ "Nice assist, Celine-san..!"_ Momo silently voices, pumping a fist from below the table while the teen gags a bit from the overflow of excess food. As expected, Rito can't find it within himself to refuse the petite flower girl and eats the noodles if only to indulge her. With this, it becomes remarkably easy for Momo's own utensil to slip in between bites and pacify his would-be protests with spoonfuls of yummy curry.

All the while, Mikan had been rendered speechless by the sheer audacity of that devilish princess. Yet even after recovering over the initial shock, the pure and cheerful vibe from Celine makes it that much harder for her to interrupt such a homely scene.

So she instead directs a withering glare at her brother, as if daring him to continue eating happily right in front of her; a sure-fire tactic had he not been assaulted from both sides and was too preoccupied to glance her way.

"Say, 'Ahn!'"

"Aaaahhn..!" Rito repeats while playing along and taking a hearty bite.

_"What's with this lovely-dovey scenery?"_ she thinks, silently fuming over the blissfully guiltless look on her brother's face, _"And Rito... being all innocent and susceptible. He doesn't care where it comes from, just so long as he's getting some..!"_

She continues watching with chewy disapproval even as the teen reels back and covers the burning insides of his agape mouth, taking extra note that Momo's spoon-feeding him all wrong; it's because Rito prefers his spicy curry and rice at a 3:4 ratio, you know..!

"Is it tasty, Rito-san?"

After gulping the spicy food and cooling down, he replies a bit bemused, "Well yeah, of course it is. That goes without saying."

"Whew... I'm so glad~" she replies in an overly domestic way which in turn positively grates on the younger girl's nerves.

_ "Momo-san... Only those who actually did all the cooking should have the right to feel happy about being praised!"_

Yet she already knows this is how that devious princess operates. And then there's Rito, being swept up in Momo's pace time and time again; his earlier consideration for her nothing more than an illusion at this point. Moreover, it's as if they were deliberately disregarding her very presence inside the kitchen.

She has just about enough of this. With a resounding slap to the table, Mikan drives her chair back and rises to her feet, "Knock it off, you..!"

Rito turns, surprised at the outburst, while Momo's smile widens, waiting for this precise opportunity as she skillfully cuts in, "Pardon me, Mikan-san~! It's only fair for you to oversee and deliver your brother's rightful punishment, isn't it? Here you go~"

And before anyone else can react to what's happening, Momo places her spoon in the bewildered brunette's hand while getting up in a hurry. She then collects the dishes as well as Celine, clearing the table of any and all obstacles which includes even herself. With a supportive grin, the third princess gives her an encouraging pat on the shoulders while Mikan can only look on, stunned; just what was she expecting to come out of this..?!

Her attention is drawn away from the older girl, however, as Rito looks at her with a somewhat apologetic expression on his face, "Is it really alright, Mikan? I can understand if you don't want to."

Still standing in a slightly bent posture, Mikan is caught in a brief moment of indecision. Even now, her brother is willing to go along with whatever she decides on, _"Honestly... he can stand to think about himself more often than this."_

She grabs hold of her plate and sits herself closer to the unsuspecting teen, taking the chair which the princess had previously sat in, "Here. The food's going to get cold if you don't hurry up and eat."

Clearly not expecting this, a loose grin once again eases back onto the teen's face while her own mouth slips into a not-so-angry frown.

"Just what are you smiling for?"

"Huh? Ah..! Well, you know," Rito vaguely replies with an ounce of chagrin, "I was just thinking... It's become a rare sight for Mikan to ever be in the wrong nowadays, so I kind of figured that it'll be okay to overlook this one. But now, it looks like I won't even need to."

"Rito... are you trying to imply that today was mostly my fault?" she teasingly remarks with an uplifted eyebrow, "Honestly. You make it sound as if you were waiting for the day when I'd fall on my face or something. Were you really that desperate to show me up?"

"Y-You know I didn't mean anything by that..!" the ever earnest teen stutters out with an unconvincing denial. Rito had never been a very good liar, so she can pretty much tell that's exactly what he was thinking, or at least in part.

"You're so weird~" she fondly verbalizes that final thought. And before any more objections can be made, she feeds her brother the meal specially meant for him in mind right from the start.

* * *

At a distance not too far away from the dining table, Momo has been monitoring their activity while washing the dirty dishes by the kitchen sink.

_ "Such a lovely atmosphere we have building here."_

"Mau... mau mau?"

The third princess glances to her left where a curious Celine sits perched on top of the kitchen counter, "So you were able to pick up on that too? It really does seem like those two have forgotten all about us, haven't they? And here we only went to put the dishes away, it's not as if we left clear across the country."

"Ma Ma Mauuu..!" the petite flower girl sulkily pouts.

"My, there's no need for such jealousy. I'm sure given the choice, Rito-san would naturally pick you over the rest of us girls in a heartbeat," the princess reassures and Celine once again shows a big smile. Of course, this also factors in their father/daughter relationship being the simplest to handle out of the whole bunch, "Having said that, just how will Celine-san celebrate such a momentous occasion?"

"Mau, mau! Mau mauu~!"

"Hmmm... I believe something like playing video games together all night long would still qualify as only 'liking' a certain someone," Momo assesses before directing an empathetic look at the petite girl, "Well, perhaps it's a little too soon for you."

"Maaauuuu..." Celine murmurs out while puffing her cheeks, quite unhappy about being treated like a child, and the princess gives her a mild, if not patronizing, pat on the head before returning her gaze back towards Rito and Mikan.

Everything looks to be as right as rain at the dining table. Between the two, there's nothing more to forgive since the today's incident has already been forgotten. But naturally, a small trifle between siblings is simply like that.

_ "Oh, Mikan-san... You know how your brother is. Something truly amazing may blossom if only you pressed forward just a little more..."_

Now that the two have reconciled, Momo becomes extremely tempted to push things further and give the brunette a helpful, if not unwanted, nudge in the right direction. Her trap mind has already devised several different ways in order to accomplish this.

Stopping her train of thought, the princess woefully recalls her self-imposed promise about giving the troubled teen a small break. And unlucky for her, it was still technically the same day, _"How very unfortunate. And this was such a good opportunity too..._

… How about we leave those two alone and give them some privacy time? Also, I could use some help in answering a few questions regarding Celine-san's biology," she then says to the petite flower girl after handing over the last dish and letting her little helper put it away.

Starting to feel like a third wheel at this point, she may as well busy herself by transferring those old roots outside to her botanical garden and begin analyzing them for further study.

* * *

It takes a little over a minute before Mikan realizes that it's just her and Rito inside the kitchen, and it takes slightly longer for her to truly evaluate what she's currently doing.

Having thought about it, there's really no reason for her to continue spoon-feeding Rito since she's already given consent for him to eat...

Mikan looks at her brother who has his mouth wide open, eagerly awaiting the next bite, _"That Rito... always so oblivious."_

Well, since he isn't going to bring it up, then she won't either.

Then a simpler realization strikes the brunette after munching down some of her own homemade curry. All this time, they've been eating off the same dish, sharing the same food, and most of all using the same spoon...

That scarlet streak on her cheeks ever growing, the brunette shakes her head at herself, scarcely believing that she's actually getting excited over something so childish. But then again, this also means that Momo had already done the same thing before she did; an unappealing thought which leaves a sour aftertaste in the younger girl's mouth.

While pondering, she inadvertently takes a heaping portion of food onto her spoon and it requires the teen to open up extra wide just to gulp it down.

"Ah, Rito. On your face," Mikan says after noticing a dribble of curry sauce roll slowly down his chin.

Realizing what she's getting at, he licks around his whole mouth, "Is it gone?"

"You still have a little bit here," she replies, pointing at the far right corner of her own lips, then frowns at the teen who seems to be disregarding her directions, "Not there. I'm telling you it's on the other side."

"But isn't this where you're pointing? Over here on my right side, right?"

"Geez! I was talking about my right..!" the brunette exclaims with a light flush, thoroughly deciding that it's her brother's fault for their minor miscommunication. Yet even after receiving specified instructions, he still somehow manages to miss that tiny, troublesome spot, "My gosh... just where are you wiping?"

Mikan reaches over, rubs off the morsel of sauced rice from his mouth, and licks her index finger clean without giving it much thought. It isn't until she catches Rito's wide-eyed expression does the brunette realizes what she had so casually done.

If eating off of the same spoon can be categorized as an indirect kiss, then this would definitely be a step up from that. And no matter how dense he usually is regarding this particular subject, it's obvious that her brother is making those same connections at this very moment as well.

_ "What's this? So Rito's not such a hopeless case after all," _Mikan thinks while she inwardly smiles. Just knowing that little fact somehow makes those bits of spicy, Rito-flavored curry taste all the sweeter.

The two siblings were so caught up in what they were doing that neither of them were aware of anyone entering the house; not until that very person steps into the kitchen and announces loudly.

"All right, curry for dinner! So what kind are we having?"

Mikan turns with a startled gasp while Rito accidentally bangs his knee against the bottom table.

"Nana-san..!" / "Nan-aaah—!"

Deviluke's second princess stops and blinks, baffled as to why her sudden entrance caused such a weird reaction out of the two. It's not like she had seen them doing anything indecent. Or did she..?

Nana furrows her eyebrows and stands there, lost in thought, while both siblings remain rigid in their seats like deer caught in front of moving headlights. A few more beats tick by in still silence, then a light bulb seems to flash inside the princess' head.

"Oh, so that's what it was..! Geez! You guys don't need to be embarrassed or anything. I love Ane-ue just the same, so I know exactly where you're coming from on wanting to do nice things for each other every now and then," she states before nodding in self-satisfaction and Mikan is once again able to breath more easily, glad that the other girl had come to the wrong conclusion. Nana then turns her head, directing her next sly remark at the troubled teen, "Though if it were me, something like shooting food out of a 10-foot slingshot would be good enough for that perverted beast."

Taking clear offense to her comment, Rito scowls and retorts, "Hey now! Just where do you get off treating me like some kind of zoo animal during feeding time?"

"Pssssh! As if you were up on that level! Even now, I bet you were still having all kinds of pervy thoughts about Mikan, weren't you?"

For the second time today, the two are thrown back as Nana's usual accusations leaves the both of them hot and flustered.

"D-D-Don't be stupid..! S-Something like that between us—! That's just plain impossible! Just what are you thinking anyways?!"

Stunned, similar words remain stuck inside Mikan's throat. She was going to deny it herself, but the way Rito had rejected the notion so feverishly... it places a terrible tightness in her chest, "T-that's right..! Of course there's no way that could ever happen..."

Even though she had only ever entertained the thought while in absolute privacy, for her to be alone in wishing that they can become something more is too awful of a feeling.

Still sensing something strange about this whole situation, Nana looks back and forth between the two siblings as a worrisome frown sets on her face.

_"Not like I care about Rito or anything..!" _she soundly reminds herself while the flustered teenager in question tries making himself look scarce. But Mikan was another story. It bothers her to see the younger girl getting depressed over something she might have possibly said.

Just then, Nana suddenly recalls someone who's sure to cheer her right back up, "Oh yeah..! I hope you guys don't mind what with this being last minute and all, but I brought some guests with me today."

Hearing the distant sound of footsteps steadily approaching, Mikan glances behind the princess and soon sees Yami wonder in, her attention focused elsewhere on whatever is behind her.

"Yami-san! What a pleasant surprise!" the brunette happily exclaims, her gloomy expression instantly dispelling upon catching sight of her best friend, and the assassin turns, giving her a slight, yet warm smile in return.

"Hello, Mikan. I hope you don't mind the unannounced intrusion."

"Don't be silly! You know that you're always welcome to come at anytime."

"We ran into her on the way over here and she insisted on tagging along," Nana explains before brushing the topic aside with a offhanded wave, "But besides that. You've only met my new friend briefly, right Mikan? Here, I think it'll be good to properly introduce the two of you!"

Excitedly, she takes hold of the younger girl's hand and leads her towards the front entrance where another visitor awaits, hunched over while in the process of leisurely removing her shoes.

"Hiya, Mea! You remember meeting Mikan before, right?"

The redhead looks forward and a thinning grin spreads across her face, "Of course, how can I forget? The younger sister of Yuuki Rito-senpai and Yami-san's one and only friend..."

Mikan pauses for a moment before nodding in acknowledgment. Cerulean blue eyes and maroon-colored hair styled in a long French plait, its length so great that her braid is currently sprawled in circles on the wooden floor – indeed, it's that weird lickity-lick girl from before.

But really though. Had the brunette not known any better, she would have expected such an unusual girl to be a friend of Momo's more than anything else. They certainly seem to be on the same wavelength with each other, especially when it comes to her wayward brother.

Well anyways, Nana did take the time to set this all up, so she may as well make the effort, "Good evening, Mea-san. How have you been lately?"

She then extends a hand out towards Mea in order to help her up. The other girl looks down at the offer before reaching over, smiling all the while, "Simply wonderful, and all the better now that I get to see you again face-to-face, Mikan-chan."

But before their fingers can even make contact with each other, Yami comes up from behind and sharply intervenes by seizing the redhead's wrist and forcing it down.

"A word with you now, Kurosaki Mea," the assassin states with a glare that says she has no right to refuse.

"Hey..! Just what do you—" Nana begins to protest yet is stopped by Mea who flashes her with a disarming smile.

"It's fine. It looks like Yami-san simply can't wait to continue our private discussion from class the other day. This shouldn't take too long," she manages to say before being yanked through the living room by the abrasive assassin.

Once outside, Yami releases the redhead after securely sliding the glass door shut behind them. Mea, undisturbed by her rough handling, simply wanders about and takes in the outdoor view as if she's a tourist currently sightseeing.

"Wow... the lawn sure looks a whole lot messier since the last time I came," Mea idly remarks before abruptly sidestepping one of the many gravels scattered throughout the backyard. With mild annoyance, she kicks at the offensive pothole which had nearly sent her tripping over, "Maintenance could use some real work. Someone could seriously get hurt around here if they're not careful."

Still standing on the patio, Yami continues to mutely track her sister's every movement like a hawk, "... What exactly are you aiming to accomplish here?"

Mea glances back and gives her a perplex, innocent look, "Hm? I was simply invited by Nana-chan to come over as a guest today. Like I said before, Onee-chan, I wouldn't dare take your assigned target away from you."

Yami stares at the redhead, long and hard, "... If that's really the case, then what was the meaning of that just now?"

A brief, yet profound pause. Then she twirls fully back around on her heels, that slight, knowing smirk practically confirming the assassin's suspicions.

It had only been for a split second, fading out as quickly as it came in, so Mikan couldn't have been made aware nor was Nana precarious enough around her new friend to take particular notice. Yet Yami had distinctly felt it, the nanomachines within her own body resonating with those of Mea's. The redhead had transfigured her outstretched arm back then, in order to send a message or perhaps as a means of provoking her.

"Truthfully, I just wanted to see what you would do. I've been noticing this for awhile now, but Onee-chan acts like a whole different person whenever that girl is involved."

With wavering eyes, Yami's expression grows unwillingly tight, "I've warned you once before, didn't I? If you were to try anything like that again—"

"'you'll consider me to be your enemy', right? I know the routine. First Rito-senpai, and now with Mikan-chan," Mea interrupts with dismissive disinterest, "But that's no good, Onee-chan. We have so much catching up to do, and I want to know everything there is to know about you."

The redhead's gaze moves slightly away, her expression turning almost wistful.

"You know, I've been wondering for a long time, on why you and I aren't very close even though we're suppose to be family. And then, I think I finally realize..." she draws out, then glances back at her sister with a look more unhinged than a moment before, "It's obviously because we've been apart for so long..! Once we spend just as much time together, then I'm sure I'll become way more important to you than that little girl ever could."

More and more, it's as if Mea is descending down a path where even Yami's past self has never before fallen. She stares into her sister's eyes through it all, searching for a glimpse of something which she's able to recognize and hold onto.

"That's right... If it's just Onee-chan here with me, then I don't need any of those other things..." Mea says, her words catching at the very end, and Yami understands right away, snatching onto that sliver of hope.

"Not even Princess Nana?"

The redhead's eyes widen in surprise, darting back and forth as she becomes unsure of herself. Then, her gaze abruptly snaps back into unnatural focus, "It's just like Master said. So you should also know already, Onee-chan, that associating with others is an unnecessary task for weapons like us. That's why in the end, it can only be you, me and Master, together at long last. Just like it should have been from the very beginning~"

Disconnected from everything around her, it's become incredibly difficult to tell whether the redhead is even speaking to her own sister anymore as she continues her ravings with a flair of inhumane joy.

"Wouldn't that be so wonderful? Oh! But before that can happen, we first need sever your pointless ties with the rest of the people in your life. Then you'll finally be free from any reason to stay on this dingy planet, the place which has tarnished Onee-chan so much already..."

Mea's face increasingly darkens as unhappy recollections begin resurfacing from her memories.

"Letting some third-rate like Azenda get the better of you... Whatever happened to the strong and cool Onee-chan who's hailed as that legendary assassin, feared throughout the whole galaxy?" she openly questions. Her voice then drops low, dripping with malice, "Is it because of that girl? It's all her fault, isn't it? She's the one making Onee-chan so pitiful and weak..."

Again, Yami can feel the shifting of nanomachines from her sister beginning to run amok. This time, however, it isn't some calculated show meant to invoke a reaction out of her. This is pure, unadulterated blood lust.

"Someone like her... an earthling girl who only drags Onee-chan down is better off disappearing entirely..!"

Whatever compassion Yami had left for her sister disappears in that instant as she's forced to face the cold reality before her, _"It's hopeless. Kurosaki Mea... she's too far gone. If I can assess the situation in that manner..."_

The assassin repeats that thought like a mantra, killing off her emotions one by one until only a familiar, hollow apathy remains.

Picking the most opportune moment, Yami positions herself at just the right angle and steps closer to Mea, effectively obscuring the view of the redhead from inside the house; she wants no one to witness what will happen next.

All it takes is a brief, unguarded instant. In a flash, a lock of golden hair encircles the redhead's neck and constrains around it without mercy. That single strand is as strong as steel, and with a mere twitch of thought can become sharper than any razor in all existence.

Mea stares at her sister's face in astonished disbelief right as she starts to feel her knees growing weak. Instinctively gripping onto that long golden thread, her mouth moves to speak yet only the slightest syllables can be croaked out. Even still, Yami can make out the rest of her words by reading her sister's lips.

_['… no way... Yami-oneechan... could never do that... We're family after all...']_

Family...

That single phrase causes something pitch black and frighteningly dark to well up inside Yami. For someone like Mea to even speak the word violates its very meaning.

Those lost, yet joyful times she had spent with her surrogate mother, Tear – she knows for certain family members don't act in the way that they do. Never in their lives would two sisters wish to destroy everything that's ever been precious to the other.

It's all so obvious now.

She tightens that thin golden trace to its utmost limit, depraving the redhead of any and all oxygen as her dark blue eyes grow horribly bloodshot with each passing second.

If reason has never worked, then actions surely will. She'll need to completely and utterly smother that naive little fantasy of Mea's into pieces.

"If you dare so much as lay a finger on Mikan ever again..." Yami lowly states, her monotone voice set to a negative chill, the void of her blood-red eyes refusing to acknowledge what this unrelated girl is suppose to mean to her. Anymore pressure and she'll snap the neck of her one and only younger sister, "... Then it's all over for you here."

A long, agonizing beat crawls by until the suffocating redhead is able to complete so much as a feeble nod. Yet even still, the black cladded assassin maintains her stranglehold, demanding definite proof of their one-sided understanding – that the very idea of harming Mikan has been entirely eradicated from every corner of her mind. It isn't until Yami becomes certain that Mea can no longer make any physical response at all does she release the redhead from her suffering.

The power in her limbs having left her long ago, Mea limply falls forward and is caught by her older sister. However, such a charitable act was the furthest thing from mercy. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, she needs to keep up this charade by appearing to hug the redhead in this false embrace.

Slowly and steadily, the assassin can hear the younger girl start to take in regular, shallow breaths. And before she has time to reflect on her recent atrocities, Yami steels herself against the redhead's next response.

To cry and beg profusely, to vow revenge by shouting empty death threats, or simply to stay quiet while cowering in fear: any number of those reactions she had witnessed countless times before from both defeated warriors and bounty hunters alike. Yet nothing could have prepared her for what was to come.

With a burst of impossible vigor and strength, Mea grabs hold of the assassin in a viselike grip and brings her face directly in front of her own.

"Amazing..! Absolutely wonderful!" she declares with sheer fascination and even Yami flinches away from the deranged gleam shining in her eyes, "Now I really want to know—! Why her? What makes that girl so special that you're willingly go to any length for?!"

The frantic strain on her shoulders continues to spike higher and is gradually becoming too much for the assassin to handle. However, within that spiraling vortex of madness, a hint of sanity glimmers beneath the depth of those deep blue eyes. And from then on, her own pain is forgotten as Yami can only stare fixated at the quivering form of Mea speaking soundlessly before her.

"Hey, you two! We're just about ready in here, so why not come back inside and eat together with everyone?"

Immediately, Yami can feel the grip on her shoulders slacken. Mea ducks her head, only to raise it back up the very next second.

It's like the flick of a switch. All the unrest and turmoil, all that raw intensity from moments before, everything regresses back behind that chipper smile.

"Wow, so quick! Thanks for letting us know, Senpai," she cheerily replies and, without another word, brushes pass the blonde assassin while Rito steps aside and allows her back inside the house.

Still shaken, several beats pass by without Yami's awareness before she drags her feet along, the image of Mea desperately clinging to her burnt vividly into her mind.

Her bleak, distorted expression. That wide, brimming look in her eyes. Those unspoken words, too weak to even leave her lips. All of that was—

"—ou okay?"

She blinks, unable to catch what the teen had said, "Eh..?"

Rito peels at her, concerned, "I asked if you're feeling alright, Yami. You don't look so good."

Unable to meet his gaze, her eyes fall to the floor, long blonde hair swaying slightly as she shakes her head. Even if the teenage boy is aware of the circumstances and can empathize with her on a certain level, she can't bring herself to talk about this. Not now.

Wandering back into the kitchen, the disquieted assassin instantly grows alert at the sight of Mea assisting the other two girls with setting the table. Yami stands there with a watchful eye, unable to feel any of that earlier malice or ill intent from the redhead. However, the way she's purposely sticking so closely to Mikan like a second shadow... as if looming danger can arrive at any given moment.

_ "It was a mistake to have come..."_

Kurosaki Mea will pick and probe, playing this game of make-believe while continuing on with this cold war. It's her ultimate trump card, the fact that her true identity remains hidden to all but a few, yet it's also the only hand in which she can play. There's no telling what measures Mea will take should her secret be revealed, which is why the assassin can't carelessly expose her.

"Yo, what's the hold up? Are you going to sit down with the rest of us or what?" Nana scathingly questions after everyone else had already taken their seat.

Instead of answering, Yami shuts her eyes and concentrates on picking up the faint sounds of activity emitting from the second floor above, _"The light, mannered rhythm of those footsteps... Undoubtedly, Princess Momo is here as well. So Yuuki Rito will have sufficient enough protection even should the worse case scenario occur. Mea also won't make any careless moves as Princess Nana is present. Now, all that remains is..._

_ … _I'll be taking my leave now."

Taken aback, everyone around the table reacts differently to the sudden announcement: Mea closing up into a tightly guarded expression, Nana with indifference, Rito continuing his quiet observation, and Mikan with open puzzlement, "Leaving so soon, Yami-san? But you just got here."

"Hey, if there's someplace else she'd rather be, then I say just let her go," the second princess interjects while looking away, still rather peeved by the way Yami had mistreated her new friend.

The assassin's main focus, however, rests completely on Mikan, her eyes imploring for the brunette to somehow understand the silent message she's trying to convey.

The younger girl stops and stares at her friend for a good while, then she finally says, "... I'll walk with you, Yami-san. That is, if you don't mind."

Mikan begins getting up from her chair and relief washes over the blond assassin. However, that too is short-lived upon witnessing Mea quickly interlock her arms around the brunette's elbow and prevent her from standing, "But this is our first meeting in such a long while, Mikan-chan. And besides, I really want you to stay so that we can take this opportunity get to know each other better."

"It's not like you'll never be visiting us again, so we can always hold something like that off until later," Mikan suggests while gently trying to pry herself away from the redhead's grasp yet finds she is unable to.

Several beats pass by in steadily awkward tension. But before the atmosphere can become strained beyond repair, Mea reluctantly relinquishes her hold over the other girl's arm, "... Then, another time maybe."

Not wasting a single moment, Yami takes her friend away from the kitchen and through the living room area with quick steps, all the while feeling the redhead's lingering gaze at their back. It isn't until they're both outside does the assassin allow herself to feel at ease and let her body relax.

From beside her, Mikan turns and inquires, "So Yami-san, where is it that you need to go exactly?"

Blinking, the blonde assassin pauses upon recalling that one essential detail. Her primary concern was getting Mikan out of that house and away from Mea, so she had nothing planned further in advance.

A trip to the local library? No.

The used corner bookstore then? Even worse.

All of her typical hang-out spots aren't good enough to serve a lie of this magnitude. Her eyebrows furrow as she struggles to think up a better, more appropriate excuse.

Noticing her friend's hesitation, Mikan waits a bit more before providing an alternate suggestion, "Actually, before that. Do you mind if we swing by the shopping district first? There's something I forgot to get during my first trip there, so it would be really great if Yami-san were to accompany me."

"Ah, yes..." the assassin absently replies while looking down, ashamed, "My apologies, Mikan."

Yet the brunette merely responds with a sunny smile, "What's there to be sorry for? I'm the one who's imposing."

With that said, Mikan walks on and leads the way. Yet the clouded expression on the blonde's face only intensifies.

How many secrets must be piled on, how much blood must be spilled in order to preserve this way of life? Those thoughts weigh heavy on Yami's heart as she solemnly follows after her very best friend.

* * *

_**(0)* : Nothing to look up here, just your average, reference-free chapter.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally an update. So for those that actually still reads this little fic and follows along, thank you kindly for your patience.**

**This was actually intended to be a portion of chap. 3 which I'm still currently working on. But since the draft is getting a bit too big for its breeches, I just decided to break it up into 3 parts. The next update shouldn't take long, but you never know with how slow I usually go.**

* * *

Back at the dining table, the three teens can only watch as both Yami and Mikan depart hastily from the house.

"That was strange..." Rito says, being the first to voice that vacant thought.

"Oh? What was?"

They all turn to find Momo descending down the staircase, where she had caught a glimpse of the assassin's long blonde hair disappear behind the swing of the closing door.

"Wasn't that Yami-san just now? And it looks like she left together with Mikan-san..?"

"Yeah. She came over a little while ago only to leave just like that," Nana informs her twin with a scoff, feeling no great love loss over Yami's departure after witnessing the mistreatment of her new friend, "I bet it's a real hassle for Mikan too, what with having to deal with the mood swings of that antisocial girl all the time."

The third princess' eyebrows furrow, sensing that something is off, "Did something happen?"

"Ah well, who can say..?" Rito cuts in, wanting to avoid talk of Mea's involvement, "It's not that big of a deal, really. Just that she seemed to be tossing glances at Mikan and wanting to talk with her in private."

Lost in thought, Momo curls a few strands of her short hair before a knowing smile spreads across her face, "Oh hoo~ I see how it is."

"Y-You do?"

She crosses her arms under her chest and gives a sagely nod, "That sly, secretive look given off by normally placid Yami-san: I would think it all too obvious."

Rito leans in and even a disgruntled Nana turns a little her way, curious to hear what her younger twin has to say.

"Whisking Mikan-san away to a place where they won't be interrupted or bothered: it seems their relationship has advanced onto a whole new stage without anyone ever noticing~"

Taciturnly, the second princess gags at her sister's usual tripe while the teenage boy blinks at the sudden turn of topic, "What? No way, that can't be right..."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. From how you described it, Yami-san might have been tossing a silent plea for some quality alone time with your sister. It certainly sounds that way to me."

Rito considers that thought for a moment more before reining himself in. He already has a vague handle on what the real problem is. However, Momo's suggestion does give him some food for thought. He knows that Mikan is quite popular at her own school, backed up by the evidence of love letters he happened to stumble upon in the past, and he did hear that she had rejected every single one of them.

But just because she shows no interest in those boys doesn't automatically make her gay, right? Of course not! And then there's Yami, where it's just plain silly for him to think that she'll take a romantic interest in Mikan simply because she hasn't made as big or special a connection with anybody else.

Rito isn't the only one in deep contemplation, however, as a certain redheaded girl becomes conflicted and unsettled over their possible rendezvous together.

"Yami-oneechan and Mikan-chan..?" Mea whispers quietly to herself as she speaks up for the very first time, "But doesn't that go against the natural biological order? It's impossible for those two to procreate with one another, so what would be the point..?"

Momo's eyes instantly light up upon being given the chance to further elaborate, "Oh no, Mea-san..! It's precisely because it falls outside the conventional norm which makes such a situation all the more irresistible and enticing! Why, there are even some helpful bedroom toys to compensate for anything which either partner may be lacking. For example~"

But before she can corrupt innocent young minds any further, Nana interjects with an unruly outburst of her own, "Quit it, Momo! Stop feeding Mea all that useless garbage!"

Underlyingly displeased, the younger twin nevertheless gives a civil reply, "This is all adult talk from here on out, Nana: nothing you'd be interested in. So just because you can't understand half of what we're discussing is no reason to take your frustrations out on either me or Mea-san."

"Cheh..! Think you're so smart..! Of course I know what you guys are talking about! Doesn't everybody?"

Momo raises an eyebrow, unconvinced, "Is that so? I wonder, does the jubilant Nana even know how sexual intercourse is performed?"

"That's easy. It's when, during the mating season, a male goes after a female that he really likes and tries pumping her from behind," the second princess answers confidently, figuring it can't be all that different from how her animal friends do it while they're in heat, "And here I thought that it'll be a bit more challenging. Guess it's obvious now who's really the most immature one around here~!"

Being mocked by that insufferable laughter of superiority, a little more of Momo's angelic mask cracks as she decides to take the kiddie gloves off, "Then since you've become so well-versed in this field, surely you know the specified terminology and can lead the discussion from here? Such as the definition for frottage or fellatio and what they all entail?"

Not recognizing a single one of those terms, the elder twin's face contorts with mighty strain as she struggles to come up with an answer but to no avail.

"Oh my, finished already? How sad. But I suppose that's Nana's limit," the third princess says with a remorseless shrug and shake of the head.

"Please! It's not like I even need to answer a dumb question like that!" she hotly retorts before casting her eyes towards the lone boy within their little group, "So what is it, Rito?!"

"Woah..! Why ask me all of a sudden?"

"Never mind that! Just answer already!"

"Oh yes~ I'm curious as well. So please go on, Rito-san, and enlighten us with your worldly wisdom~" Momo adds with merry glee.

The teen slumps forward, seriously wondering why he need to be the one to have the sex talk with Nana of all people, "W-Well, I'm not all too sure about the first one, but doesn't it pretty much mean to dry hump your partner into climaxing..?"

"'Dry humping?' You mean like rubbing against each other, even with our clothes on and stuff?"

"Y-Yeah, s-something like that..."

The second princess takes special note of this as her cheeks gradually flush red. But wait a second. Hadn't the two of them done that plenty of times already? Herself and Rito..?

"That's not quite right, Rito-san. To better clarify, I believe it's more broadly defined as a form of genital stimulation which bears no risk of actual penetration," Momo all too happily supplies and Nana feels a tiny twinge of disappointment, realizing they aren't that far along yet.

"Okay, then how about that other word? Fill... Felna-Fellatia or whatever?" she inquires before noticing her younger sister's keen observation over her, "And use an example this time! Just so Momo here can understand us and follow along."

No longer able to keep the color of his face under control, the teenage boy glances down and mumbles something under his breath.

Nana scowls in irritation while Momo grins back with deceptive pleasantries, "Oh my, would you mind repeating that once more, Rito-san?"

"B-Basically just oral sex..." he says in a barely audible tone, "Like getting a blowjob, or I guess giving head in your case..."

"Geez..! Tossing all these weird words around only makes things more confusing! Give us a straight answer, why don't you!"

"Now now. Give him some time, Nana. He's a pure-hearted individual after all."

"Pure, my ass! That brute will go attacking any girl the first chance he gets!"

"A wild and aggressive Rito-san? One can only dream~"

"Hey, Rito! Are you even listening?!"

"But between spits and swallows, I wonder—?"

"—get on with it already!"

"—obviously he'd prefer the latter—"

"—if you don't know, then just tell us so—!"

"—technique should also be a definite plus—"

"—always so infuriating—!"

"—maybe as advanced as deep-throating—?"

"—sitting there like a great big dummy! Say something already—!"

` ***Snap!***

"It means using that loud a$$ mouth of yours to suck on my beastly d*ck until I empty out and org&sm, okay!"

Like an infinite echo, his booming voice reverberates throughout the entire household for all to hear again and again. Nana's face turns beet-red, her eyes tearing up as her lower lip trembles uncontrollably, and the remorseful teen can practically hear the sound of her maiden heart breaking.

"Just what are you trying to make me do! Damn perverted beast!" she cries out while unleashing a vicious heel kick that strikes Rito squarely on his chin.

"—but you're the one who kept on asking.!" is his departing rebuttal as he's sent flying while Momo distressingly gives chase not too far behind.

She kneels down on the floor and tends to the KO-ed teen, scowling at her twin sister with weary disapproval, "Honestly, Nana... Must you always be so violent with Rito-san?"

"Geez..! Don't give me that look! It's not like I put any more power into it than I usually do! Just slap a bandage on him and he'll probably be good as new," Nana scoffs while crossing her arms and trying to look angry, although it's quite difficult due to her face constantly slipping into anxious worry.

"It's wrong..."

Blinking, both twins turn towards the red-headed girl who had stayed silently dismal up until now, "Mea..?"

"It's wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! All wrong!" she shouts frantically while shaking her fiery head, "Why her? What reason is there in her wanting to be with Mikan-chan..?!"

Nana can only stare at her friend in shock and concern, having no clue what's going on, while Momo, with a bit more insight on the ex-bounty hunter's true character, is able to give her a proper response.

"... There's no concrete explanation for it. But if I were to be put into words, then it's simply because the heart moves where the heart wills," (1)* the younger twin replies, steadfast and calm, "Whatever warm and tender feelings one person may hold for another... doesn't the logic and reasoning for them all come afterwards?"

"But, it still doesn't answer anything at all..! A sorry excuse like that..."

"Mea-san... Whether you like it or not, the fact remains that it's still Yami-san's choice to make. And if you continue standing in opposition, if you never once take her thoughts or free will into consideration, then that's all your own feelings for her will ever amount to: a selfish, one-sided love," Momo gently reproaches, as much to herself as to anyone else, "At least, that's how I feel."

Mea is stricken wide-eyed into rueful silence while Nana turns away, agitated and annoyed. It's moments like these where she feels that maturity gap between herself and her twin sister all the more acutely. And it's not just due to the difference in their bust sizes either.

Pressing on, the third princess chooses her next words carefully, "You might not understand the if's or why's, Mea-san. But can't you find it within yourself to try empathizing with them a little, given your own relationship with Nana? How would you feel if someone were to belittle or threaten her? Or possibly even worse?"

Her last statement had definitely struck a cord. It's a solid breakthrough, perhaps working far too effectively, as that new-found revelation leaves the redhead looking lost, hurt, and most of all alone.

"Cheh..! There you go again, always spouting crap like that," Nana intervenes, instantly coming to her friend's aid, "Don't let her get to you, Mea. You wouldn't know from the looks of it, but I can handle myself pretty well in a fight. Plus if there's someone out there badmouthing me, then I'll just do the same and stick it straight to them."

"Nana-chan..."

With a fearless smirk, the second princess beats a fist against her (non-existent) chest, "Who cares what anyone else thinks or how many enemies we end up making. We'll always be friends, and that's all that matters."

Momo sighs with resignation as she looks at the two girls, sharing a silent tender moment while being off in their own little world. She isn't too thrilled about being typecast as the villain in this whole situation, especially when Nana swoops in and steals all the best parts for herself.

_"Oh well. I suppose she can be forgiven this one time."_

With the mood still so light and inviting, it comes as a huge surprise when Mea leans in and licks the entirety of her friend's right cheek.

"W-W-W-Wh-Wh—" Nana stutters incomprehensibly while placing a hand over her wet face, "What are you doing, Mea..?!"

"Eheheeheh~ I thought so..! You taste pretty similar to senpai, except you're more on the sweet and sour side~" the redhead beams back innocently.

"Geez..! You shouldn't be doing stuff like that!"

"But why?" she questions with those big blue puppy-dog eyes, "I thought we were best of best friends, Nana-chan. We've already taken baths together and gotten naked lots of times in PE, so shouldn't the next step be lickity-lick to the cheek?"

"Mannnn..! Those other times aren't suppose to count, Mea! And besides, it's only okay to do those type of things until after you're married!"

"How come?"

"I-I don't really know, but that's just how it goes..!"

"But why?" Mea repeats for a third time as the second princess is given a bit of first-hand experience on the stressful art of parenting.

Finding it nearly impossible to argue with her friend, Nana instead directs her attention towards her nosy twin sister, "And you..! Don't get the wrong idea, Momo! I know you're having all kinds of super pervy thoughts right now!"

"Oh my, I wasn't thinking anything of the sort. But the fact that you've arrived at that conclusion so quickly... shouldn't you do more self-reflecting on which of us is the bigger pervert, 'Nana-chan?'" she slyly remarks, all the while as Mea sneaks in tiny butterfly licks across the other cheek.

Deviluke's second princess, full of hot and steamy indignity, can barely think straight and is on the verge of wigging out completely.

"Ugghhhh! Fine, whatever..! C'mon, let's go, Mea! No point in letting our brains rot away from hanging around Momo for too long."

Unceremoniously dragging the merry redhead along, she stomps out of the room in a huff and leaves Momo to her own private thoughts.

_"That Nana is totally tsundere for Mea-san now."_

Maybe there's hope for that girl yet. For the both of them, in fact.

Hearing a groan, she looks down and notices the teenage boy finally beginning to stir, "Ah. Welcome back, Rito-san. How was your little nap?"

"Aghhh... yeah, I've seen better days..." Rito utters while purposely sitting back up. It felt a little too good, and all the more dangerous for him, to have his head resting cozily on Momo's lap.

"But honestly, that Nana doesn't hold anything back, does she? You would be well within your rights to consider reprimanding her one of these days."

"Well it is partly my fault so I do end up deserving it half the time," he dismissively replies and the third princess observes him intently.

"Huhmm... I just can't help but notice, Rito-san, that you give Nana too many allowances, even though she's always been so unreasonable and rough with you."

"Really? I don't think I ever treated her any differently from the rest of you girls."

"Perhaps it's more correct to say that you seem softer towards her in comparison to the others..? All I'm saying is that problems will surely arise within your future harem if you're going to show such blatant favoritism," she pointedly states, clearly envious of Nana's status as a viable contender for one of Rito's concubines despite her total lack of effort.

"What, seriously? You're just over thinking things, Momo. I mean sure, we probably do have a certain way of interacting with one another. But can't the same thing be said for just about everyone else? Like with you, for example," the teen replies, briefly considering their respective differences before the most obvious one comes to mind, "Even what we're doing right now. Whether it's the harem plan or some other embarrassing topic, those are issues which I only ever talk to you about. You can even say that it's proof of us being closer than most others in a way.

_ … Of course, trying to rope me into the harem plan day in and day out probably helps with that too,"_ he voices flatly as an afterthought.

Clutching a hand over her breasts, Momo feels that familiar flutter rising from her chest; the teenage boy truly has no idea what type of impact he has over her, "I suppose you do have a point. Before we can even arrive at that juncture, there is the matter between Nana and Mea-san to consider now as well."

"Huh? Why bring up those two?"

"Well, it seems Yami-san and Mikan-san aren't the only ones interested in the liberal exploration of the fairer sex," she responds with a mischievous grin and the teen's mouth sets into a frown.

"Hey now. You're going too far with this, Momo. It isn't right for you to be making these strange notions between Mea and Nana."

The third princess eyes him curiously. Interesting, that he rejects this pairing yet considers romantic relations between Yami and Mikan as a real possibility, "I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss them just yet, Rito-san. Especially when solid evidence is being presented to us as we speak."

Directing his gaze out onto the yard, Rito spots where those two have wandered off to. Moreover, he bares witness to the scene of a flustered Nana shying away from Mea who's clearly on the offensive attack, _"N-No way... For real?!"_

He sits there in a transfixed daze, plagued by the ongoing sight before him. The dynamics between both pairs of girls are fairly similar to each other, so can it really be a given that Mikan and Yami..?

The teen grips his head and continues agonizing over this whole ordeal while Momo watches on before she provides a suggestion, "If you're so concerned about your sister, Rito-san, then I do believe there's a suitable solution~"

Sensing an awful dread, Rito nevertheless finds himself asking what the third princess has in store for them.

* * *

_**(1) : From the Korean manhwa "Tower of God." A memorable quote spoken by the protagonist Baam in Vol. 1, Chap. 47, and one which I particularly like.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Another day, another update for this little story.**

**There were quite a few scenes which didn't make the final cut into this chapter. Maybe I'll try to bundle them all up into an extra chapter or something later on. But for now, everything here works out for the better in terms of simplicity and consistency.**

* * *

While walking the streets of the shopping district, Yami turns to her best friend with a look of uncertainty, "Is this all that you require, Mikan?"

The brunette directs a bit of her gaze at the small plastic bag in her hands, a single bottle of soy sauce inside, "Oh, this? It may not seem like much, but you'll be surprised what a difference this seasoning makes when it comes to everyday recipes."

Though skeptical, the assassin accepts her answer and says no more. She's grateful to Mikan for not questioning the reason for tonight's outing. And the two girls are able to enjoy each other's company as they normally would, the dealings with her younger sister Mea all but forgotten.

"... For our final stop, how about we order some takeout before heading back?" Yami asks, repressing that unwanted memory back into the recesses of her mind.

"Well, eating the usual taiyaki is fine and all, but the shop's a bit out of the way..." her friend replies with a little reserve, "I was thinking of going to another place, a new okonomiyaki stand not too far from here."

"Okonomiyaki..?" (1)* the blonde slowly repeats, unfamiliar with this Japanese dish, "Is the taste similar?"

"Not at all actually. But who knows? You might end up liking it after giving it a try."

She nods her consent, figuring that it must be a good eatery if it had earned Mikan's recommendation.

It's only a few blocks away before they arrive at the outdoor restaurant where a large crowd along the sidewalk greet their eyes. And while waiting in the middle of the line, Yami takes distinct note of her available funds, or lack thereof.

"It's shameful for me to admit this, but I seem to be out of Japanese currency."

"Oh, don't worry about it. It'll be my treat today," the younger girl replies yet Yami shakes her head.

"Nevertheless, I'll surely pay you back, Mikan. The 29.3 okonomiyaki which I'll soon own to you," she reaffirms, feeling it's only appropriate after dragging her friend along with her selfish request.

"Eh..? Just now, how exactly did you come up with that figure?"

"In a manga I read about a sharp-nosed protagonist and the massive debts he incurs as the series progresses. I believe the term used for the rate of interest was 3 crows..?" (2)* the assassin tries to recall before giving a decisive nod, "It's a scary thing, isn't it Mikan? Being financially dependent that is. In many ways, it's a form of terror which I shudder to ever experience for myself."

The brunette stands there with a sweat drop dripping down her face, _"So I guess she's moved on from detective books and romance novels, huh..?_

I don't think that happens all that often in real life, Yami-san. Or at least those horrific events have got to be greatly exaggerated..." she tentatively replies, "Besides, paying back interest on loans isn't something which occurs between good friends. And I'd be much more troubled if you actually felt that way about us, in fact."

The blonde nods shortly in response.

"We've known each other for long enough now and should be able to tell one another anything, no matter what it might be. Don't you think?"

Again, a single curt nod and Mikan glances away with hidden disappointment. Yet her subtle hinting isn't lost on Yami, and it's for this reason that she feels all the more guilty for it.

Soon enough they're ready to order, their meals arriving shortly thereafter, and Mikan waits for her friend to take the first bite before asking, "So how is it, Yami-san?"

"... It's quite hot," is the assassin's simple assessment while looking down at the pancake-like dish.

"That's only natural since it's freshly baked. But what I'm asking about is the taste. Like how this would stack up to your all-time favorite taiyaki for example."

She takes another bite and chews more slowly, reevaluating her initial judgment, "It's quite flavorful, contrary to its sloppy appearance. However, I find that there's very little else for me to positively critique; perhaps because I haven't acquired the taste for it yet."

"Ah, I see... The reason I ask is because I've heard the story once before, on how you first started liking the taste of taiyaki all because of Rito," the younger girl admits, slightly abashed, "So I just wanted to see if I could introduce you to a new favorite too. But I guess it didn't go exactly as planned, huh?"

"Not at all. It's simply that the standard for comparison may have been set a bit too high," Yami replies before smiling warmly in reminiscence, "And also, you're mistaken about one thing, Mikan. My initial impression on the quality of earth's cuisine was made when you had first invited me into your home and cooked sukiyaki (3)* for all of us on that day."

"Is that how it is? I'm so glad!" the brunette happily beams back. Then her expression slips into something a bit more nonchalant, "So Yami-san... If you had to choose one, which would you prefer? Taiyaki or my own cooking?"

"Taiyaki," the assassin immediately answers and Mikan's face falters from her snap response. Beginning to fret over her best friend's distress, she hastily tries to rectify, "The meals you prepare are all equally delicious, Mikan. So it's a difficult thing to choose just one... This along with the fact that taiyaki is a more portable, convenient foodstuff which can be eaten and enjoyed at one's leisure."

The younger girl dons an uneasy smile, only feeling slightly better about herself. She can follow the logic considering the assassin's solitary past lifestyle and how the fish-shaped pastry has become a stable part of her everyday meals, _"But still... losing to takeout food can be pretty disheartening to hear..."_

Yami nods and continues in earnest, "It also serves a variety of unique applications. Why, just the other day, such a situation had arose in fact.

Unexpectedly, its slim, sleek design makes it quite the formidable tool when used as a mid-ranged projectile," the assassin states, providing a visual demo as her right arm slices through the air in a shuriken-style motion. Giving an intention pause, she then resumes, "Needless to say, it makes for a gooey mess upon contact."

"Umm, but Yami-san..? Wouldn't it be, ah.. just plain silly to use such a thing for a weapon? I can't possibly see it as being much of a threat."

"On the contrary. A strike so slimy and icky can serve to distract even the most hardened and deadliest of foes. Why, it's no exaggeration to say that the humble taiyaki is the sole reason which I remain alive until this day."

For her part, Mikan can only nod stiffly in response. It's beyond ridiculous what the blonde is saying. But this is her best friend Yami who's telling the story, and even a gag joke like destroying a whole platoon with only a single manga volume (4)* seems entirely possible for the infamous, galactic assassin.

It's an indisputable fact as far as the younger girl is concerned. Or so she had thought.

"Excuse me, Mikan. That was merely a joke," Yami surprisingly admits after failing to receive the desired response. She then raises her gaze a little and gives pause for self-evaluation, "Perhaps I spoke of too many details, or the set-up itself had been overly confusing..? In any event, it appears I lack the right credentials to play the part of the comedian."

Disbelievingly, the brunette stares for several moments until she covers her mouth in a fit of giggles.

"Don't feel too bad about it, Yami-san..! Truthfully, you almost had me going there for a minute," Mikan says while wiping away a stray tear. She then goes along with the comedy routine by lightly slapping the assassin's shoulders with the back of her hand, "Plus, 'it would be extremely impudent of anyone to utilize taiyaki in such a wasteful fashion.'" (5)*

Impressed, the blonde nods admirably at her friend's improv, "Well done, Mikan. Your impersonation of me, as well as your cosplay, truly remains unrivaled on this planet."

Although it does leave her feeling somewhat confused, not understanding why the brunette would find things humorous only after the punchline had been delivered and explained.

If this had been anyone else, say Yuuki Rito for example, she would have gutted them like a fish for that disrespectful outburst. But since this was Mikan, just hearing the sound of her merry laughter feels like its own little reward.

"Your face is always so serious, Yami-san, so even for me it's hard to tell whether or not you're joking at times. Though it's always great that you're opening up more, even if you do wind up looking a bit dorky in the process."

Taken aback, Yami nods wordlessly and grows pensive, knowing that it's just an illusion. Those warm compliments which Mikan freely gives is only because she still being kept in the dark: from just about everything.

If only she's made aware. Of Kurosaki Mea. Of her past life and countless sins. Would her best friend still be there for someone as vile and tainted as her? Even though the blonde secretly holds an impossible wish for even more?

The blonde may find out that very answer as Mikan settles down, looks at her and initiates the conversation which she has been dreading.

"So Yami-san... Isn't it time you told me the real reason you brought me out here?"

* * *

_"I should have known she was planning to do something like this..."_ Rito glumly reflects, following Momo's lead as he ducks behind some bushes beside her. They had just managed to locate the pair after the princess had taken flight and scouted from the skies above. Now, they are stealthily in hot pursuit.

"Since the crowd is starting to gradually thin, we'll need to be more cautious and trail further behind them," she informs and Rito nods.

"I gotta say, Momo, that you seem awfully good at spying on people and sneaking around," he comments. Then a strange sense of deja vu x22 sweeps over him, "You... wouldn't happen to do this sort of thing often? Like, all the time—?"

"D-Don't be ridiculous, Rito-san! Isn't that simply your imagination?" she replies a little too quickly, her face turning panicky for the briefest of seconds, and the teenage boy throws her a dubious look.

"I'm really starting to wonder about that..."

Her eyes anxiously dart elsewhere, as if something terribly important can be happening at this very moment, "Look there! We need to pay careful attention or else we might lose track of them..!"

Though reluctant, Rito drops their current discussion altogether, sensing that he wouldn't like her given answer, "Maybe we should head on home, Momo. Nothing seems to be going on between those two anyways."

An invasion of privacy and an even clearer violation of their trust: it's the moral high ground beginning to win him over once again. Yet Deviluke's third princess always had a way of tempting him off that long beaten path.

"After all this time observing them, don't you find something out of place?"

"What's so strange about it? They haven't been doing much of anything as far as I can tell."

"Precisely. Didn't you mention earlier that Yami-san had other plans for this evening? Yet here she is, browsing aimlessly about without any specific destination in mind," she states, bringing up a valid point, "So then, what would be the point to all this secrecy?"

"Well, that's probably because..." the teen accidentally slips out and she raises a quizzical eyebrow in response. He nearly forgot why he's gone on such a roundabout way of keeping this particular secret from Momo in the first place.

"... So you're perfectly fine with accepting their relationship now? Even if it happens to be one of an illicit, adult nature?"

"N-No. It's not like I've gotten okay with it or anything... But the two of them together seems pretty unlikely, all things considering."

"Then doesn't that give us all the more reason to investigate what's truly going on? In order to leave no stone unturned or leave any room for doubt?" she questions with a rising passion, "All for the sake of our piece of mind, of course..! Until we've made entirely certain, it would be unwise to rule out even the slimiest possibility!"

Being more swayed than he wants to admit, Rito grudgingly decides to continue with their observation for a few minutes more, all the while trying to remain as unbiased as possible.

He's never seen any hints of an affair between the two girls, at least not anything which he can recall. However, what if all this time that Yami had been coming over, there really was something going on between them right under his nose?

* * *

_"Good lord, Rito..! All this time and you never even noticed? There should be a limit on how dense a person can be," Mikan wickedly mocks while caressing the blonde girl on her lap._

_ Withering under her lover's possessive touch, Yami spares him a flushed look of apathetic pity, "Yuuki Rito... you truly are the world's biggest dummy."_

* * *

He grips his head, wanting nothing more than to bash his head against a tree repeatedly, _"Gaagggghhhhhh! I don't know what to believe anymore..!"_

Moreover, why is he picturing his sweet, precious little sister to be the aggressor in this whole wacky relationship?!

But now that it's come to this, he's got to know for sure!

"Isn't there a way for us to get closer so we can hear them, Momo?"

"That could be difficult... since we are dealing with that famed, legendary assassin after all. But it should be possible so long as we have help in concealing our presence."

"Wait a second, you don't mean..."

"Ta-daa..! Onee-sama's latest invention, 'Oou Oou Odoroki-kun!' [Hide, Hide Surprise!]" she announces after whipping out a device the size and shape of a portable tablet.

Self-perseveration kicks in as Rito involuntarily pulls his face back and shrinks away. But everything should be fine so long as it's in Momo's capable hands, right?

"Oh."

"'Oh..?'" the teen slowly repeats, not liking that sound one bit as he sees Momo tentatively pressing a few more icons on the device's touchscreen, "'Oh,' what?"

"Oh..! Nothing at all, Rito-san! I wouldn't want to bore you with the minor details," is her automated reply as she flashes a forced smile which fails to reassure him.

"Okay... suddenly this doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore..."

"Nonsense! Everything will work out perfectly fine, you'll see..!" the princess reiterates. With her pride at stake, she pulls the teenage boy away from their hiding place.

"H-Hey, Momo..! Isn't it bad for us to be out in the open like this..?!"

"Only if we were still navigating through those crowded streets much like before. But out here in this clearing, it should be alright for us to put Odoroki-kun to good, practical use."

Even as they approach closer, neither Yami nor Mikan spare so much as a passing glance in their direction. And it's not just the two girls either, no one else inside the park seems to have taken the slightest notice of them.

"Is this for real?" Rito marvels as the princess guides him far enough back and allows a late-night jogger to unknowingly breeze pass them.

"As you can see, there's still a fair bit of visual distortion, not to mention the enclosed space which cloaks the user is fairly small."

"I'll say... But this is really something. I'm impressed."

Usually Lala's inventions tend to malfunction in under a minute. So the elapsed time alone has got to be breaking world records here.

"Onee-sama will certainly be overjoyed if she heard you praising her latest work, Rito-san," she cheerily informs the teenage boy, "So if you could, please gather the courage necessary in order to tell her so yourself."

"Somehow, something feels very wrong with how you phrased that last remark..." he flatly replies and the third princess grins back with discreet amusement, _"Bingo, huh?"_

It's nice to know that his simple approval can bring Lala such joy. Now, if only he didn't need to put his own life on the line and risk doubling her creative productivity as a result...

"So I'm guessing this gadget works like camouflage or something?"

"Not quite, though I suppose it's a fair enough assessment," she thoughtfully responds, "A more accurate comparison would be that of the D-Dial, or Onee-sama's Pyon Pyon Warp-kun, or even—"

"The dimensional portal back at the house," Rito finishes with a nod, feeling that he's understood enough now, "But how effective is it? I mean, is there any chance of Yami or Mikan spotting us if we get any closer?"

"Oh my. Still having doubts, are we? It looks like the only way to clear your skepticism is for me to prove it to you myself," Momo says. And without further ado, she tackles the teen to the ground, always willing to take the lead and show everything to him personally.

"M-Momo..!"

"You see?" the princess interrupts and momentarily distracts him, her free hand infiltrating the underside of his clothes while the other still holds onto the cloaking device, "Whatever scandalous acts we perform out in public will most certainly go unnoticed~"

"Okay! You've made your point already! So feel free to stop at any time now..!" he whispers frantically, the pitch of his voice hiking up to soprano levels. Even after all this time, the teenage boy still hasn't realized that Momo's the type of girl whom Yes means yes and No means an all-out, green light go.

"Ufufufuu, Rito-san... your lower, more honest self seems to be much more excitable than usual this evening. Is it because we're being shamelessly watched by an unsuspecting Mikan-san at this very moment? Or perhaps it's due to the anticipated punishment Yami-san will deliver should she ever find out? I wonder which is it?"

The teen finds that he can't deny her: in just about every sense of the word. But before his limit breaks, he uses his last ounce of resistance to grab hold of Momo's arms and push her away. Only this time, he soon wishes that he hadn't.

A warning signal blares off from the device due to his misplaced fingering, and the blonde assassin turns alertly towards their general direction. In the next instant, like the closing of a curtain call, the whole scenery darkens and descends all around them.

Fumbling around, Rito begins to panic until he feels a light touch and finds that Momo hasn't disappeared on him. She brings up a finger in a gesture of silence and motions for him to cautiously follow, retreating back to where they had been previously spying from before.

With the familiar set of trees and bushes suddenly appearing before them, the teen tests out his theory by reaching out a certain distance, where the tip of his hand starts to vanish like a magician's parlor trick.

"Forgive me, Rito-san... I believe Onee-sama had made some extra modifications on this device right before she left, since there are a few functions here which I don't quite recognize," the shamefaced princess comes to admit as she further explains, "Yes. It appears that pressing this new sequence of keys places the same effect onto the user as well. Which is why from our point of view, we seem to be the ones cut off from the rest of the visible world."

"... Why can't Lala just keep her inventions nice and simple for once..?" he questions out loud to no one in particular while Momo remains focused on solving their current dilemma.

After a few more icon pushes, she again inquires, "There. Did that solve the problem?"

He takes a sweeping look around, "It's still pitch dark outside as far as I can tell."

"How strange... According to my readings, Odoroki-kun's should still be activated even as we speak..." she softly asserts, her eyebrows furrowing, "Please give it a bit more time. I believe everything should be taking effect momentarily."

And true to her word, the scenery gradually brightens and clarifies once more. Yet it also reveals a vengeful Yami standing mere feet in front of him, looking like cold, bloody murder. His only saving grace is the fact that she doesn't seem to be aware of their presence yet.

"Even though we're completely concealed... Yami-san must have excellent intuition to be able to map out our general location," the princess admirably appraises from the sidelines.

"Is this really the time to be praising her here..?!" he whispers back fiercely while Momo reaches out and gives him a fair warning.

"Ah, Rito-san. You may want to consider moving away from her."

The teen takes a nervous step back, his feeling of invincibility against the blade-haired assassin quickly diminishing, "I-It's not like Yami even knows where we are, right? You said so yourself that Lala's invention is working fine now."

"Well, yes. But as I tried mentioning before, Odoroki-kun only works by creating a flux subspace distortion. Objects which bypass the invisible barrier are still able to interact with the other side. Meaning that Yami-san can freely break into this dimensional space should she happen to wander into it."

Turning ever so slowly, Rito glances back at the multitude of razor sharp weaponry as his face pales considerably, _"You could have explained the details beforehan—!"_

But before he can even finish, those transfigured blades shoot towards him without warning, tearing through the very fabric of reality itself.

"Rito-san!"

He futilely tries pulling away, well aware that it's already too late.

Yet something brown and bulky spouts up even faster from the ground and intercepts the attack before it can reach him. Those rapid fire impacts, however, penetrate the overgrown tree trunk clean through, causing tiny splinters to fly onward and nick at his exposed flesh.

The dust settles. His heart rate gradually beats back to normal and Rito can hear himself breathing once again.

Momo is immediately at his side, her fearful expression washing over with boundless relief after discovering that he's unharmed.

Maneuvering around the mangled tree, the assassin's lethal killing intent vanishes instantly upon recognizing the pair before her, "Yuuki Rito..! and Princess Momo..."

"H-Heya, Yami..! Nice night for a stroll?" he responds in a form of a question, still feeling more than a little shaken.

The assassin's look grows more stern, "What were you two possibly thinking? To tail me in such an underhanded fashion?"

"It was due to my suggestion that we should spy on both you and Mikan-san in order to help settle a curiosity of ours," Momo states point blank, surprising them both with her candor, "In a way, I suppose part of the blame falls upon me—"

With that said, Yami wastes no time taking a few potshots at her. Yet the princess beautifully evades each of those hammer-like strikes by a hair's breadth away.

"If you concede to this fact, Princess Momo, then why do you dodge?"

"It would be unsightly for me to appear tarnished and disrobed in front of a gentleman like Rito-san."

_"As if..! Then what's the deal with you always coming on to me naked all those other times?!"_ the teen so badly wants to shout out.

That trademark, public smile of Deviluke's third princess soon vanishes, however, as her fingers curl closer around her open D-Dial; a reflex action which doesn't escape the blonde assassin, "Leaving that trivial matter aside, you've greeted us with quite the welcoming reception just now. I wonder, was that truly the best course of action to take even against unknown intruders?"

If Yami felt any reaction towards the princess' interrogation, she lets none of it show on her poker face, "And who's fault is it that first brought about this whole situation? Aren't you purposely avoiding your own accountability by accusing a single person here?"

"You don't deny it then? On how lucky Rito-san would have been if, after taking your brutal attack, he could manage to walk ever again?" the princess cross-examines as her expression grows dangerously dark.

But before matters can escalate into anything dire, the teenage boy steps in between the two and disarmingly interjects, "Hey now..! You don't need to get so worked up over it, Momo. I mean, no harm done, right?"

"Rito-san..." she utters, feeling her anger subside. It's hard for her to object if the victim himself doesn't raise so much as a fuss over it.

Yami releases her trans-state as well, unwilling to expend any more energy into this fruitless endeavor. Her gaze lingers on the teenage boy for a few moments before turning to address the other girl, "A proposition, Princess Momo. I would like to strike a deal with you as a way of courtesy."

She fixes the blonde assassin with a harsh glare, "You think such a thing will help make up for what you did?"

"Who can say? Whether this offer is found to be acceptable or not will depend solely upon you."

Giving her a long, discerning look, the wary princess steps closer until she's within a whisper's earshot. Yami then leans over to deliver her offer, keeping one eye on where Rito is and making sure that he isn't listening in.

A few minutes pass by before their private conversation is finished and Momo moves back over to him, all smiles.

"Well then, Rito-san. I'll be leaving you in Yami-san's care for the rest of the night~" she pleasantly announces, unbalancing the teen as she pushes him towards the stoic assassin from behind.

_ "Wha..! Whatever happened to protecting me with her life on the line..?!"_ he brazenly thinks while watching the third princess expand her anti-gravity wings and process to take fight.

As soon as she disappears from sight, Yami turns to him and strictly demands, "First, strip."

"... Huh?!" is his delayed reaction, positive that he must have misheard. But the look on her face is fully expectant and dead serious, _"Hold on! Just what kind of deal did those two make with each other!?"_

Several beats pass by as Yami stands there, soaking in the words which she had just spoken. Then sudden realization sweeps over the assassin as she shuts her eyes and takes a prolonged, measured breathe.

"Yuuki Rito. I hope for your sake that your astonishment is merely due to having this unexpected request thrust upon you," she states through thinly tight composure, her eyes opening up into mere slits, "I am correct in my assessment, aren't I?"

He swallows hard and nods vigorously in agreement, praying that Lala's gadget won't malfunction any time during his little striptease inside the park.

_"Yeah... no one to worry about seeing me but Yami..!"_

However, he's finding it extremely difficult to undress, what with the assassin's eagle-eyed stare boring a hole through him like that.

"Um, Y-Yami... Aren't you planning to at least look away..?"

She blinks, her gaze inadvertently falling a few inches lower, "Ah."

Just as she's about to turn, Yami stops herself at the last moment.

"On second thought, I will not," she declares and his jaw drops down in pure disbelief, "Consider this payback for your countless acts of perversion up until now."

"What..! You can't seriously be saying that! All those times were just freak accidents, you know!"

"So you say. Then instead, your debt to me shall be collected in full: for each and every time," the assassin declares, slowly flexing her sharpened, transfigured claws while giving him a placid, yet evil glare, "And seeing as you are no friend of mine, I can assure you that the rate of interest will be staggeringly high."

Knowing that she'll refuse to accept any less of an answer, the teenage boy plays it smart by keeping his mouth shut for once and simply doing what he's told.

The sound of ruffled clothing is heard as he starts to unbutton his dress shirt.

_ "... slow."_

His nervous fidgeting never ceasing, the teen slips off his shirt and starts to work on his pants.

_ "Slow..."_

An agonizingly long minute is spent just trying to unfasten the blasted belt buckle.

_"So slow..!" _the assassin annoyingly thinks while watching those single pair of trousers finally hit the ground. How perverted can this boy possibly be? If he didn't go about this so slowly, then surely she wouldn't be feeling this hot and bothered right now.

Though this does give her time to evaluate the teenager's physique, since all of those other flash incidents usually leave her too infuriated to take much notice.

A bit of excessive body fat here and there, but the boy does possess an athletic built which belies what his outward demeanor would normally reflect. And being an outdoor type, the color of his skin is slightly more bronzed than the average Japanese, giving him more of a healthy, attractive look. Overall, Yami can't say that he possesses a body which she finds altogether unpleasant or unwanted.

Meanwhile, Rito continues sweating bullets. Now that his outer wear is gone, he's stripped down to only his undergarments, _"Gaaaagghhhhh..! I can't do this..! Go ahead and cook, fry or boil me alive! Like I care anymore!"_

Abruptly halting all movements partway through, he covers himself with his discarded clothes while the blonde inwardly protests from behind that stone-cold mask of hers, _"That shameless, ecchi person! Thinking he can stop whenever he feels like it..!"_

Releasing a calming breathe, Yami gives him a look over and steps closer upon finding what she's looking for.

"Be still for a moment."

Following her instructions to the letter, Rito scarcely breaths as he stands there rigid like a statue, not knowing what the blonde is expecting of him.

_ "Maybe Yami's just looking for a hug..?"_

An unbelievable thought. But somehow he felt that this was something which she had always been wanting.

Nervous, Rito raises his shaky hands and prepares to do the deed. That is up until he sees the stoic assassin glaring back at him.

_"Holy crap..!"_ the teen panics while quickly retracting his arms away. This definitely doesn't seem to be one of those times.

Yami returns her gaze forward as she reaches behind and plucks out a tiny object from his back, "As I thought..."

Rito looks down at her hand, "Just what is that?"

"A seed, planted on you by that conniving princess before her departure. Perhaps its usage is for tracking and surveillance, or as a means to monitor one's heart rate and other vital signs. Any one of those explanations seem quite plausible," the assassin theorizes before nodding to herself, "Yes. So that if any ill omen were to befall you, Princess Momo would be notified of your condition right away."

He gulps nervously, "T-That Momo! I bet she's worrying over nothing..!"

Yet all of that dies in his throat as Rito witnesses her crush the tiny seed and clings with empathy.

"I suppose one can call it mutual distrust..? In any event, it appears that her confidence in me only reaches to a certain extent. I've no doubt she still remains hidden somewhere within the vicinity."

She then takes notice of the trepid teen, needing only two seconds to deduce the reason for his jittery behavior.

"There's no cause for alarm, Yuuki Rito. I merely dislike the prospect of being eavesdropped upon. Rest assured that your death by my hands shall be swift and direct," Yami states and Rito is able to relax a bit, though he still wonders if this can be counted as a good thing. The blonde's gaze then shifts onto the tiny gashes along his forearms and cheek, "First of all. Please accept my apologizes."

"Huh? What for?"

"For earlier. It was just as Princess Momo had said. It's inexcusable for me to have gone overboard in my assault back then."

"Oh.." he utters, breaking out into a cold sweat upon recalling those events prior. If it hadn't been for Momo... "W-What? You're still going on about that? Like I told you before, don't worry about it."

The assassin looks down and falls silent. She had been expecting him to respond as such. However, his carefree, careless answer only serves to wound her further.

Noting her dejection, the teen tries again in a more upbeat tone, "C'mon now. You don't need to act like such a stranger, Yami. If there's anything you ever need from me, just ask away."

"..."

Silence reigns for several seconds on end. Then wordlessly, the assassin shifts into a battle stance.

"Ah, Yami..? What are we suppose to be doing?"

"Sparring."

"Huh? You mean with me?"

She nods briskly.

"Umm... can I ask why?"

"... In order to test myself regarding the issue of self-control. And also, it'll serve to relieve some of my own frustrations, since beating up on you appears to have its therapeutic benefits."

_ "... Seriously?"_ he thinks while blinking. Maybe he should buy her one of those life-sized plushies in order to spare himself some of the agony...

Rito does a few light stretches before mimicking the assassin's posture, not quite sure how to proceed. However, none of that really matters since Yami makes short work of him at the very first move.

Trying to grapple the blonde from behind and make her submit? He's met with a precise arm bar reversal and is forced to tap out.

Attempting to tackle her legs from down under? His back gets pounded on until his face eats the dirt.

How about being more direct and actually try to strike her back? That's a big no-no as he's whacked inside out with a mighty cross counter.

He can't even get a handle on the smaller girl, who's only using basic human strength and martial arts prowess during their numerous, one-sided bouts.

In a last ditch effort, Rito tries pulling a faint only to follow through with a bold lunge instead.

Yet the blonde had anticipated this. She crouches low and uses his own momentum against him by delivering an overhead body throw. She then floats over in one fluid motion, squatting upright on his stomach while pinning both of his wrists above his head.

Exhausted and out of breathe, the teen looks up in a daze and finds Yami, not having broken so much as a sweat, with her long, silky hair flowing straight down from all around them like a great golden waterfall.

"Now then... say something hateful to me, Yuuki Rito..." the blonde whispers weakly, and his heart skips a beat as she leans her way closer to him, "Drive me to a point where I can feel neither pain nor remorse..."

Rito stops and stares silently at the blonde girl for several seconds on end before venturing forward.

"... No. I won't. There's no reason for it," he states resolutely. There's no way he can leave her alone: not after seeing that lost, lonely look in her eyes, "What's this all about, Yami? Is it because of Mea? Did she say or do something to you back there?"

A crestfallen pause. Then she gravely shakes her head, "Just the opposite. If there was anyone who had done wrong onto others, it would be me..."

* * *

_ "Amazing..! Absolutely wonderful! Now I really want to know—! Why her? What makes that girl so special that you're willingly go to any length for?!"_

_ Speaking in that fanatic frenzy, it wasn't until Mea's voice had completely broken down did Yami realize how much devastation she had caused to her one and only little sister._

_['Someone like that... whom Onee-chan cherishes so much... that she wouldn't think twice about throwing me away...']_

* * *

Her eyes swimming with emotion, the assassin places a dim hand over her chest, "This heart of mine which instinctively connects itself to death and destruction... The incident with Mea earlier had made me realize that deep down, I haven't changed at all."

"That's not true!" he venomously denies.

"It is. Why else would I think to harm my very own sister at the slightest provocation?"

"But think about all the good you've done while on earth, Yami..! You and your trans-ability. You're just selling yourself short by focusing too much on the negatives here."

"How foolish of you to say. Do you even realize how many lives I've killed in the past due to this so-called precious gift? The sheer number alone far outweighs whatever hope for redemption I can ever possibly make," she solemnly states, then looks down at him with cold spite, "And the fact remains that your opinion is irrelevant. You know nothing of me."

Rito stares up at her, hurt that she would think this way about him and most of all herself.

"... So, does that mean Tearju-sensei created you with that purpose in mind? Of being nothing more than a living weapon all along? You should already know that's the furthest thing from the truth," he affirms, then sadly shakes his head, "Don't go deciding the entirety of your life without even trying first... that's only taking the easy way out."

Her face hardens as the boy treads heedlessly in their debate, "Quiet..."

Yet even as the glow of those golden locks transform, Rito continues to say his peace, "We all have our moments of weakness, I think. That's why, more than anything else, so long as you don't give up on yourself and can apologize to Mea properly—"

"Be silent!"

Razor-like steel slices through the airspace between them and the teen does indeed grow quiet, but not because the assassin had ordered him to.

"... You're right that I don't know. Not a single thing about what you've been through before," he says without wavering, "But that doesn't mean I can't see you for who you are right now."

Not even so much as a flinch – even while she has him completely dominated and threatens to take his life at a moment's whim. This mere earthling boy whom she's beaten countless times before. Yet she can't possibly win against him now when it truly matters the most.

Wordlessly, she gets off of Rito and he rubs at his wrists while slowly sitting back up.

"You know... I can't help but admire what a strong person you really are, Yami. And it's not only because of your transformation or martial arts skills either."

The blonde lifts her head and looks at him again.

"I just think a lesser person would have caved in or snapped by now, especially after all you went through. And what about those times where you've held back on killing me even though I'm your main target? That's got to count for something, right?" he asks lightly and Yami turns away.

"Such a strange person you are. To use the damage you've sustained as a means to measure my compassion and mercy," she darkly replies, yet her ease of expression seems to speak the contrary, "However, it would be wrong of me to take all of the credit. Your continued survival is also due to you being resilient like the cockroach."

The teen grins back with minor difficulty, wishing she'd at least use a better example for his tenacity, while the assassin begins to brood once more.

"But I still have doubts, on whether it's alright for someone like me to continue leading this peaceful life... It's probably better for everyone if I simply leave this planet and never return..."

"... Even though you say that now. But aren't you the one who's going to end up being the most sad?"

She blinks, awestruck, "Me..? Sad? Am I really..?"

"Well yeah. At least, you're already looking that way to me," he points out as if it's the most obvious thing, "And also... I don't want you to leave. And neither would Mikan or anybody else here."

"Mikan as well..?" the blonde laments and Rito grows more attentive, sensing a disturbance within her, "Even though I've been keeping secrets from her at every given turn? Would she still miss me so after discovering the truth I've been hiding from her?"

"There's still time to reveal those things, about your past and family connections, Yami—" he starts to say yet the assassin shakes her head.

"It's not just about Kurosaki Mea... though the incident with her had awakened my eyes to what I've been bottling up deep inside," she responds before taking a deep breathe, "Mikan is my very best friend: someone whom I can no longer imagine leading my life without. Yet there are times when I'm unable to view her as merely just that..."

Taking awhile to understand her meaning, the teen grows wide-eyed upon realizing that both his and Momo's earlier speculations have just been halfway verified.

"Oh, wow..! Ummm..." he utters while awkwardly gazing around the entire park like a lost traveler in search of a map.

But it makes perfect sense, doesn't it? If Yami had gone through all this turmoil on his little sister's behalf, then it's crystal clear that she values Mikan dearly, more than he had ever given her credit for.

"... I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, having those kind of thoughts every once in a while," he settles on saying. Normally, this is a secret which he'd sooner take to the grave with him. But for some reason or another, Rito feels that it's alright to discuss this with Yami, someone who can relate to him regarding this forbidden subject, "I guess what really matters is whether you act upon them or not: that's what really counts."

The teenage boy rises to his feet, dusts himself off, and offers her a hand in which the blonde graciously accepts. He helps her up and the two silently nod at each other, coming to a mutual understanding.

"So tell me... what should I do? Would it be best for me to approach Mikan..? Or simply make amends?"

"Sorry. This isn't something I can help you with, since I don't really know myself," Rito replies. Then he smiles slightly at her in return, "But aren't you overlooking someone who knows Mikan just as well as I do?"

"There is? Just who..?" she questions, wondering who that person can possibly be, until she sees him pointing straight at her.

"Aren't there things which you've seen with your own eyes, Yami? A side of Mikan which she shows only to you?" he states with a definite nod, "So just trust in yourself to do what's right and believe that Mikan will respond in kind."

Yami blinks back vacantly: it's such a naive, foolish way of thinking. But in the end, she's the bigger fool for not being able to realize this much for herself.

"Wasn't this simply your roundabout way of advising me to make my own decisions? It makes me wonder how you can offer such foolhardy advice to others with so straight a face."

He scratches his chin, looking rather embarrassed, "Aha-ha... well yeah, it doesn't sound all that great when you put it that way..."

The blonde smiles back, full of hearty content, and allows herself to fall indiscreetly into his chest.

"Y-Y-Yami..!?" the teen spatters with hands in the air, making absolutely sure that he isn't touching anywhere inappropriate.

"... This as well appears to have its therapeutic purposes..." she truthfully responds while nuzzling closer to him.

It takes several seconds before Rito feels that it's safe to put his arms back down, where they naturally encircle around the blonde's slim waist.

Neither one expresses to the other on what he or she is thinking. This unique and one-in-a-kind experience is merely accepted and not spoken of.

It feels so warm, being inside his arms. Or rather hot. (6)*

Her body temperature continues to rise, perhaps due to her heartbeat racing eccentrically.

Yet this insatiable yearning within her chest... she can feel an identical one thumping against it as well.

They're close enough for her not to be mistaken. So does that mean he's somehow feeling the same way?

She takes a chance and glances up, only to have their eyes meet at that exact moment.

Like electricity, a tingling, burning sensation courses by and passes between them.

This feeling... What is it?

It's marvelous, foreign yet exotic: greater than she's ever before experienced with him. It's beyond sensational. It's—

_"It's all about to end, it seems..." _ Yami thinks with sorrow as she soberly gazes skyward, sensing a change in the wind, _"So, Princess Momo has finally noticed the seed's destruction and is about to make her reappearance."_

Yet as the seconds tick by, a fiendish idea begins to form and overtake her.

"Yuuki Rito. I'll have you play along," she states before her hair lengthens and spreads in a diabolic, showy fashion until it covers much of the night sky.

Usually, such an act would instill fear into the teen. But after their sparring and witnessing how deadly the famed assassin can be, he can easily tell the difference now and doesn't feel an ounce of worry.

Deviluke's third princess lands on stage with guns blazing, already summoning various plant species to fight by her side. However, after seeing that awful look of concern for his well-being, Rito steps up and ends this whole charade for her sake.

"Yami's just messing around, Momo. Which I guess can be pretty hard to tell right about now..." he says, effortlessly bringing down one of the many jagged blades with a hand, and the blonde nearly pouts at him for not going along with the act.

A few beats pass while the princess reevaluates the situation and vents out a sigh of agitation, recalling her plants back into her D-Dial. Yet that isn't enough to completely pacify her as she addresses the other girl in a business-like manner, "So, Yami-san... I take it that you've enjoyed time well spent alone with Rito-san?"

"Yes. Very much so, in fact," she coolly replies, "However, I don't recall us setting a stipulation where you can simply intervene at any given time."

"Be that as it may, I still expect you to uphold your end of the bargain."

"And why should I when you were the one who first broke our original agreement?"

Feeling rather lost in their discussion, the teen decides that now is a good time to ask, "Hey, you guys. What exactly is all this about anyways?"

Her eyes still on the blonde, Momo takes this moment to enlighten him, "Our deal from earlier today was for me to loan you out to Yami-san for a single date, and that I would prevent anyone from interfering. In return, she would repay the same favor to me sometime in the near future."

"What the..? How can you two decide these things for yourselves without even asking me first?!"

Yet shifting their attention away from each other is a horrible move on Rito's part as both girls now direct their focus squarely on him.

"So what is your decision, Yuuki Rito? Will you continue allowing this girl to do as she pleases, thinking to satisfy everyone without ever voicing your own heart's desire? But I suppose it's a fitting response for one so pitifully inept," Yami says while closing her eyes and turning away, seemingly disinterested in this very discussion. Yet his intuition tells him that his next answer may very well be the most important one he'll ever make.

"W-Well... that's really not what I—"

"That's not true at all, is it Rito-san? Would you please be so kind as to inform the misguided Yami-san of what your intentions will be? A responsible and upstanding young man such as yourself will surely do your very best to fulfill any obligations set before you. So naturally, the choice should already be made," Momo says with a voice so sugary sweet that he's racked with guilt for even considering to betray those hopeful expectations.

Torn between this bipolar atmosphere, Rito is pressured into the worst possible situation for an indecisive boy with ongoing love troubles. Since both alien girls here, if they ever so desired, can literally make mincemeat out of him and ground his remains into fertilizer without barely lifting a finger.

But as luck would have it, a familiar voice breaks into the clearing and rescues him from this dire predicament, "Huh..? Rito? Momo-san? What are you two doing here?"

Turning, the teenage boy is never happier to see his little sister walking into a scene unannounced, "Mikan~!"

She looks down, blinks, then asks him with a long suffering expression, "Rito... why are you only in your boxers and briefs? Just where in the world did your pants and t-shirt go?"

"Aha-haa... who knows where they are by now..." he responds in a defeated tone, wanting to laugh and cry at the same time.

"It would appear that Yuuki Rito and Princess Momo had been spying on us for quite some time now," Yami updates her friend and Mikan quirks an eyebrow.

"Oh really? And I suppose it was you, Momo-san, who put my idiotic brother up to this?"

"Well, you see... there's a perfectly good explanation—"

The younger girl crosses her arms and asks patiently, "Let me guess. Some alien bounty hunters or whatever had been targeting us, and you guys just happen to come along and conveniently save the day?"

"No..? Nothing of the sort," Momo responses, puzzled, and the brunette gives a single, curt nod.

"Then there isn't a good enough reason for it, is there!?" she suddenly explodes on the third princess who shrieks away in surprise, "My gosh, I bet this was just another way for you to create all sorts of mischief along with Rito like always! Try to show some consideration for the people you always end up involving!"

"Yes, I understand..." the older girl submissively replies while Yami witnesses Deviluke's third princess being brought down to apologize on her hands and knees. As expected of her best friend Yuuki Mikan, the strongest elementary schooler she has ever known.

Aware that he'll be the next in line for his little sister's tongue lashing, Rito knowingly steps into the fray this time and cuts in, "You're so right, Mikan..! So saying all that, we'll just do what we should have done all along and wait for you back at the house!"

"H-Hey..!"

Both the brunette and blonde can only watch as the teenage boy takes hold of his pink-haired accomplice and beats a hasty retreat, _"They're running away!" / "Fleeing the crime scene, I see."_

But before they depart completely, Rito tosses her a 'nice guy' pose along with a final remark, "Oh, and one last thing.! No matter what your preference might be, Mikan, I'll be supporting you 100% of the way.! So don't you worry.!"

Dumbfounded, Mikan doesn't quite know what to make of her brother's statement. And it isn't until Yami gently grasps her by the hand before she's given a definite clue in.

"We've just received one family member's approval. Now only two more to go," she replies, placid yet warm. Then the assassin remembers her own kin and quickly amends, "Ah, excuse me. Please make that four."

Shades of bashfulness, indignity and one other nameless emotion begin coloring the brunette's cheeks; she has absolutely no idea how serious a joke her best friend is making. So instead, Mikan shouts after the teenage boy who had left her in this happily awkward position in the first place.

"Riiiiittooooooo..!"

* * *

_**(1) : Basically, okonomiyaki is a Japanese dish consisting of flour, bonito flakes, eggs and cabbage, with other assorted choice meats and vegetables mixed into the batter and grilled on a griddle.**_

_**(2) : "Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji." A term found in Endou's loan contracts with the protagonist Kaiji during The Bog Arc.**_

_**(3) : Basically, sukiyaki is a Japanese broth dish mainly consisting of beef that is simmered in a large pot along with an assortment of other vegetables and noodles.**_

_**(4) : From the series "Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei." A reference to the delusional yet awesome mental image of Kobushi Abiru's Military Corps Operative Father.**_

_**(5) : Basically, Yami was trying to perform a traditional Japanese comedy routine called a "Manzai," where she, the boke/funny man, says something insensible and the tsukkomi/straight man corrects the boke's statement error with sharp reply and a comedic hit.**_

_**(6) : A small line taken from a fan-made doujinshi of "Nisemonogatari:" Tsukihi-chan + Ara-ra-ra-ragi-san → hug = cuddly luv**_


	5. Chapter 5

**First of all, mad props go out to Dr. Facer for taking the time and effort to proofread this chapter for me. And also, big thanks to Fulunukko for allowing me to use one of her fan art as the cover icon for this story.**

**Just as a side note for anyone interested, explanations for various references and other Japanese terms which are scattered throughout this whole story can now be found at the bottom of each chapter.**

**Chapter 5 had already been finished way back in September of last year, so it's undergone the most revisions and is probably the most polished. Well at the very least, there's nothing here which I as the writer find to be lacking. So for all those reading, please enjoy.**

* * *

"Thanks a bunch, Momo," Rito says while putting on the pants and sweater she provided for him.

"Think nothing of it. It's always good to come prepared," she replies while closing her D-Dial, and the two of them continue to make the long walk back home.

Though truthfully, he doesn't know which is worse: that Momo keeps a spare set of his clothes on her phone's #2 speed dial or the fact that he actually needs those emergency backups at the ready for his hectic, everyday life.

"So, are you sure you don't mind?" the teen suddenly inquires and she turns, breaking out of her private musings.

"Hmm? Regarding what?"

"Well you know... about me. That thing you and Yami agreed on earlier..."

"... Ah yes. You needn't worry about upholding any promises towards me, Rito-san, if that's truly what you've decided upon," the princess responds, disheartened that she hasn't acquire enough love-love points to raise such a joyous, eventful flag quite yet.

Rito gives a slight nod to himself. Yet his face grows more unsettled upon recalling tonight's momentous events.

"Say, Momo. You're a girl, right?"

She blinks keenly back at him, half-serious in her next remark, "Oh my, how kind of you to finally take notice."

"You know what I mean..! I just wanted to get your perspective on a few things," Rito says, scratching his chin with a finger as he begins to look decidingly uncomfortable, "So, what do you think about Mikan and Yami..?"

"Ah, those two..." Momo replies upon realizing what's on his mind. Before answering, she asks a question of her own, "Does it really bother you so? To think of your sister in such a fashion?"

"Maybe a little... I'd be lying if I said that it didn't."

She pauses and tilts her head thoughtfully, "But that's just how women are, Rito-san. To fall in love and to be loved – regardless of age, race or gender, I would think everyone wants to experience a beautiful storybook romance like that sometime within their life."

"Is that how it is..?" the forlorn teen asks and the princess gives a definite nod, "Yeah... I guess that's true enough."

"If it's any consolation to you, I never truly believed Mikan-san's inclinations swung in that particular direction either. Though in retrospect, I suppose it isn't too surprising. She is quite the adventurous girl after all, breaking into all sorts of taboos and the like."

_"Huh?"_ he double-blinks, baffled, "What exactly does any of that have to do with Mikan?"

She fixes Rito with a long look before letting out a weary sigh; and even after giving him such a big hint... "It's fine for now if you don't know. Still, I can't help but sympathize with your sister a little. It's looking to be a constant uphill struggle on her part..."

Her ambiguous response only leads the teen further into his own head-scratching confusion, like an annoying itch that he can't quite reach. Yet all of that is besides the point, "No, but seriously. Somehow it doesn't feel like we're even on the same page or anything..?"

"This is concerning Mikan-san, correct? And how it's troubling to witness her secret love affair with Yami-san."

Had Rito been drinking any liquid, he would have spat it all out into a fine, comedic spray then and there, "Wha..?! No! That's not it! I've actually had this talk with Yami already, so that's not the real issue here..!"

_"So the problem is something much simpler..?"_ the princess surprisingly mulls over before a peculiar thought strikes her, "Don't tell me... It's not so much an issue of who your sister is with, but merely the fact that she could possibly be dating now?"

Rito averts his gaze up and away, having the good graces to now look embarrassed.

"... That's pretty amazing," she can't help but say; in more ways than one.

His expression turns sour, thinking that Momo has got to be over-embellishing, "It's not all that bad, is it? I mean, I think it's a perfectly normal reaction for any older brother to have."

"That may have been fine if it were merely just that... But aren't you overlooking something essential here? Namely, the fact that Mikan-san may have homosexual tendencies?"

"Well it's not like that never crossed my mind or anything..! And maybe I'd be a lot more concerned if she was with any other girl... But because it's Yami, it doesn't feel like there's all that much to worry about," he admits with a mix of bizarre reluctance. It's weird yet somehow fitting, since there really isn't a better person whom he'd want to leave his sister to, "Did that make much sense?"

"In a manner of speaking..." the princess tentatively replies, still reeling over the simple fact that Rito isn't as prudish as she had initially thought, "Still, aren't you being overly protective of Mikan-san? Or maybe it's because you consider her to be too young..?"

She casts a timid glance at the troubled teen, taking personal interest in the topic at hand, while Rito thinks long and hard about his answer.

"... Those reasons too. But for me, I think it's mainly because she's always been my kid sister, you know what I mean?" he asks before recalling that she's the youngest of the Deviluke siblings, a fact which is so easily forgettable at times, "Ah, well... I guess you might not understand the feeling..."

Yet Momo doesn't seem at all bothered by what he said, still willing to lend an ear as she patiently waits for him to continue.

His gaze drifts upward, thinking about the type of boy, or girl in this case, that she'll come to like and every single hormonal change that's brought along with it.

"It was never anything I ever thought about happening... the day when Mikan sets out and actively start dating," he begins by saying, the memories of when she had still looked up to him as her cool older brother and tagged along everywhere he went still fresh in his mind, "Even now, it makes me real anxious just thinking about it. Since it's a really big leap from how I'm used to seeing her as, I guess."

The third princess listens on, quiet and calm. Yet even though she can better understand his viewpoint now, she's unable to grant him any of her sympathy, "... I hate to say it, Rito-san, but for you to be in shock over the natural process of your sister growing up... Isn't it because you've held unrealistic expectations for Mikan-san, or more like an unfair image of how you always wish her to be?"

He winces at her pointed remark – so direct yet without a speck of falsehood.

"Even now, she has quite a few admirers at her own school from what I've been gathering. And thinking that matters won't escalate from here as the years go on would simply be far too naive."

The teenage boy lets out a long, unhappy sigh. He must have been a huge idiot for being blind to the obvious, "Yeah, I hear what you're saying. Like how mature and reliable she is or how pretty she's really getting to be... Mikan's already got such amazing qualities which can make anyone fall for her, yet here I am worrying about every little thing. It must seem like I'm way too overbearing, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. It's even quite enviable actually. The way you want to sweep her into your arms and soothe away all of her worries."

"Uh? I... guess I can probably see myself doing that. If she was having a rough time at school or with a certain problem about Yami..." he replies after a moment's hiccup, feeling somehow strange and uneasy.

"Then, right when she's at her most vulnerable, you would guide Mikan-san discreetly into your bedchambers, all the while whispering sweet and tender nothings, as every square inch of your body begins educating her on whom she should really seek after and will ever truly need~" the princess jubilantly portrays and Rito's whole face erupts red at her vivid snap-shot imagery.

"Hey you..! Stop leading me on and making me look like some type of moonlight gigolo in your fantasies!"

She cutely cocks her head back at him, "Oh my, was I? But you were the one showering her with boundless praises, Rito-san. You were so convincingly profound, in fact, that I couldn't help but to go with the flow~"

His cheeks burn even brighter upon remembering that bit of incriminating evidence against himself, "T-That sort of thing..! It was from a purely objective standpoint, is all..!"

She smiles back knowingly, "Of course. It's because Rito-san loves Mikan-san so very much. Isn't such an honest answer good enough?"

Stunned into silence, the teen wonders about that seemingly obvious fact. Can things really be that simple? For someone else to be the center of Mikan's life: is this restless anxiety strictly his feelings of a protective older brother?

Turning, Momo tosses him a sideways glance and continues, "If you're still having doubts about their relationship, then I'm sure your sister will clarify this whole matter out for you if she were merely asked about it."

Considering that option briefly, the troubled teen shakes his head upon recalling his own earlier advice to Yami, "... No, it's fine. It's not any of my business to pry, and I'm sure Mikan will tell me everything herself if she really feels the need to."

"I see. If that's your decision, then I'm sure all will be well," she reassures. Even though Mikan holds a special place in his heart, it seems that there are still limits which the younger girl can't easily reach. For this the princess can feel a bit grateful, since she's aiming for an even higher position, "However... All this talk regarding Mikan-san, yet aren't you feeling the least bit regretful about this whole development yourself?"

"Huh? Why would I be?"

"I'm speaking about Yami-san of course, and how she may be off limits to you now."

"What? Me and Yami?" He questions in open disbelief. It's hard enough for them to even have a casual conversation with each other. He can't even begin to picture how a relationship with the stoic assassin will be like, "Wow! Where exactly did that come from..! I mean, sometimes I think she only tolerates me for the sake of her friendship with Mikan."

"Hmmm... Do you truly believe so?"

He opens his mouth to affirm yet closes it midway, amending his prior statement, "Well okay, maybe that isn't as true as it might have been back then. But doesn't she actually need to 'like'-like me first before we can take things any further? And the odds of that ever happening are about the same as it would be with Nana or Kotegawa!"

"Oh yes, I can most certainly agree with you there."

"See? I think I'd be just as happy if she opens up and learns to trust in me a little more," Rito says with certainty, having misread the princess' agreement to his faulty logic. He then returns his gaze forward, recalling his heart-to-heart chat with the blonde assassin not too long ago, "Besides which, Yami's much more delicate than she appears, having gone through so much in her life already. So even if I could, I'd still hate to pressure her into doing things that she isn't quite ready for."

Momo turns to look at him, pleasantly surprised. She has never before considered Yami's past as an obstacle that may ultimately keep her from accepting the harem plan.

_ "It's just like Rito-san to be so insightful where it matters the most,"_ the third princess thinks admirably. Looking back, he's made great stride with the infamous assassin all on his own and without her usual interference to nudge him along, _"Perhaps it would be better if I left Yami-san entirely up to him..?"_

Meanwhile, the teenage boy in question is having separate thoughts of his own, his gaze anxiously shifting back and forth until he finally decides to ask her outright, "... So how about you, Momo? Would you ever consider, ah, well, b-being intimate with another girl..?"

"Are you seriously wondering whether or not I've ever been bi-curious?" she directly inquires with no small degree of astonishment, surprised that the sexually inactive teen would ever ask such a thing, "You're a little late in asking that, Rito-san. I believe the better question is how many I've already been involved with and to what degree."

Flabbergasted, her straightforward response leaves the teen's mouth agape and hanging, "Don't tell me... was it somewhere around half a dozen..?!"

However, his outlandish guess is only met with a fit of suppressed giggles followed by a single raised finger.

"Just one~" she answers back playfully and the teen visibly deflates. Yet right when he feels that everything is safe, the third princess smirks an impish grin and lays down the finishing stroke, "That person being Nana."

"Wha—? Nana..?! As in your own sister, Nana?!" Rito exclaims, completely bug-eyed.

"Do you happen to know of any other girl by that particular name?"

"B-B,bu-But..! She's your twin sister!"

"A fact which you so helpfully pointed out beforehand," the princess casually replies with a tiny twinkle in her eyes, "If it displeases you so much, Rito-san, then simply think of it as an extra helping hand when masturbating."

He whirls back around, throwing her a single look which spoke volumes. It's such a ridiculous notion that he feels all the more compelled to listen to her explanation.

"Nana and I are twins after all, and we are identical with one another. More so even back then," she lectures on and Rito gives a tentative nod, barely following her so far, "So in a sense, such an act can be viewed as an exterior form of narcissism, correct?"

Try as he might, his mind can't wrap its way around this crazy-ass concept, "... No! How'd you even figure this to be in any way logical to begin with?"

"Oh my, you don't believe me? But that's exactly how it was for us," Momo replies, her unshakable certainty causing a seed of doubt to seep into the teen's mind once more, "Why, whenever Onee-sama, Otou-sama or Zastin-san weren't around, Nana would always..."

* * *

_ "No, Nana! We mustn't..!"_

_ "Was it this bratty mouth that's always talking smack to me? Do I gotta step down again and whip you back into place?"_

_ "F-Forgive me. But please be sensible, Nana-sama... We're siblings. I-It isn't right for you to be touching me all over..!"_

_ "Kuh..! Even though you're supposed to be the baby sister here..! Don't get all cocky just 'cause your boobs keep getting a little bit fuller lately! Just you wait! Once my hormones start kicking in, my tits are goin' end up being huuuuge!"_

_ "Y-Yes. Nana-sama is such a kind and benevolent person. She needs only to tolerate being flat-chested for a couple more years— No..! For a few months more. God will surely bless Nana-sama with a bountiful bosom and forever cure her washboard-like appearance."_

_ "Huuuhhhh?! Hey, slave! Talking about my chest like that... Are you trying to imply something which you can't say directly to my face?"_

_ "N-Not at all! It was all in a good way..! I only meant that in an absolutely good way!" _(1)*

_ "Looks to me like you need another lesson on how to show your master the proper respect!"_

_ "M-My tail..! It isn't meant to be bent in so many wayyyyysss!"_

_ "Kyahaahahaaha! Would you listen to yourself now? No different from any other wild animal, sounding like a dirty bitch in heat!"_

_ "D-D-Don't! Inserting it in there..! If you go any further, I've never be able to marry..!"_

_ "Oh? Can't have that, now can we? Lucky for you, there's another hole which is free for use. So what's say we try testing to see how much can fit into this filthy little pit of yours, hm? OraOraOraOraOraOraOraaa!" _(2)*

_ "Aaaahhhnnn~~~ Anymore and you'll break meeeeeeeeee~!"_

* * *

Flushed with ecstasy, Momo places a hand on her right cheek and takes a patented breather.

"It's probably best if I spare you the details and stop here. I wouldn't want to risk upsetting you further, Rito-san, seeing how easily impressionable you can be," the third princess says. Though by the looks of it, she's the one who needs some time away from the potency of her own storytelling, "But just recalling what that tactless Nana had done to me while I was still so ripe and green... is it truly any wonder in how I turned out to be?"

His eyebrows cross as Rito adopts a hotly pained expression. It would have made for a more believable story if the twins' roles had been switched at the very least. He seriously can't picture the juvenile Nana acting like a hardcore sadist back in their childhood, especially since this is the same girl who still likes to wear those unassuming, animal-themed panties even to this day.

_"Not that I'm ever trying to sneak an extra peek or anything..!"_ the teen reminds himself mentally. It's just that Nana's retaliations against him always seem to leave her wide open for another free peep show. He's always wanted to point that out to the second princess, though he'll probably just get another beat down for his troubles.

"To have my anal virginity taken away with neither rhyme nor reason..." Momo continues to reminisce, looking daintily down while having both hands tucked behind the lowest neither regions of her back, "Though it pains me to admit, in the eyes of the lascivious Rito-san, my value as a potential sex partner must now be on shaky ground."

"Woah, hold on! Since when did you decide that I was into that type of freaky foreplay in the first place?!"

Leaning closer, she discreetly prods him in a hushed tone, "There's no need to save face in front of me, Rito-san, since I've already taken the necessary precautions to prepare myself, both physically and mentally, for this tying endeavor. So if this happens to be one of your secret guilty pleasures..."

"Like I said before..! There's zero chance of me being interested in doing that at all!"

"So you're not even the least bit curious then? That's too bad..." Momo responds with genuine disappointment.

The teenage boy fights down his mad flush with a grimace, feeling more than a little miffed, _"That Momo! Always messing around like that..."_

His right hand reflexively curls off and on while he involuntary glances downward.

Like the feel of hot leather, that stimulating sensation as his fingers wrap around any one of the three sisters' tail is a feeling which he'll never forget. And while lithe and limber, it's downright impossible for those spade-shaped ends to squeeze itself through a female's front entrance much less the rear gate. Or so he firmly believes.

Following the direction of the quiet teen's gaze, Momo's grin widens upon noticing where his eyes have drifted to.

"Whether or not I had been fully penetrated on that fateful day..." she whispers low-key, her hand trailing down the center of her waist where two fingers press down and part the frilled fabric of her skirt, "You're free to check for yourself, Rito-san. All you need do is say the word~"

Growing red-faced in record time, Rito looks away and stutters out a stiff reply, "N-No thanks... I'll just be taking your word for it, for now..."

Momo brings a hand up in order to help maintain her outward composure; it must be absolutely criminal to enjoy herself so while witnessing the teen's reactions towards all of her teasing. And in a rare moment of empathy, she decides to give in and offer the honest truth for once, "Please rest assured, Rito-san, that most of what I spoke of had largely been a fictional tale. While it is true that Nana and I share a familiar skinship with one another, matters between us have never escalated to anything more than what would qualify as mere petting, much less to any erotic situations which you may be imagining. It had all begun as childish curiosity and was carried out with the most innocent of intentions."

Despite himself, Rito releases a whooping breathe, looking greatly relieved, "So that's all there was to it, huh? Hahaa... yeah, I kind of figured as much. So I guess that was just a phase which you two grew out of?"

"Well, I can't exactly speak for Nana. But I personally have never been adverse towards any form of female intimacy," the third princess responds before smiling softly to herself. But all of that is impossible for her now, "It's just that, ever since arriving here on Earth, all of my preferences had since shifted more towards the mania side."

"What? Mania?" (3)*

She nods lightly, carefree and uplifting, "Yes. An obsessive-compulsion over loving one single, truly special person..."

She turns her head forward, gazing out and distinctly recounting.

"From the courage and resolve he shows when faced with adversity, or his kindness and consideration for all those around him. When it comes to women and compromising positions, he always tries his utmost in maintaining a respectable level of integrity; so much so that it makes my job all the more difficult. Even right down to his indecisiveness and awkward bumbling. Those seemingly negative traits which may be scoffed down by many, I can't help but find them to be positively endearing."

Closing her eyes, she breaths in while placing a hand gently over her chest.

"To hear the sound of his voice calling out to me; to watch his peaceful face as he sleeps; to receive his praise and compliments, no matter how gracious or small they may be; to the way my heart is set beating aflutter from the simple action of just drawing near him..."

She turns and locks eyes with him then.

"You know. Those sort of boring, everyday things."

All the while, he continues staring back at her with a feeling that he couldn't tear himself away.

"Ju-just now... what exactly do you mean to say?"

"About being on the mania-side and no longer wanting to experiment with other women anymore?"

"Not that! I'm talking about, well, you know..! About how you've, about how it might be possible that you l-l-l-l-loovvvvvvv—"

"Love you..?" the third princess helpfully provides and to which he affirms with a heavy gulp and a rigid nod, "But why is that so surprising? I thought I mentioned all this to you once before."

"Well yeah..! You said that there were plenty of other girls who secretly liked me. But you never really included yourself in there!"

"Ooooh... is that right?" Momo draws out after tilting her head and giving it some extra thought. She then regards him with clear violet eyes and gives her soft, simple response, "Well, now you know..."

Saying no more, an all-encompassing silence soon sets in between the two. Rito is given plenty of time to ponder it all, scratching his head furiously as he drowns deeper into his own collective thoughts.

_"What's up with that anyways?"_

In hindsight, it had all been glaringly obvious right from the start. Why else would Momo set up the harem plan, tailor-made and catered just for him? Yet to be outright confessed to out of the blue: it still left his mind staggered and reeling.

On a side note, this is exactly like his issue with Mikan; a touchy subject which he foolishly avoided thinking about up until the very last moment.

Rito glances down, his eyebrows furrowing; since when did it become like this? Before the teenager knew it, he found himself being able to trust and rely on Momo for just about anything; whether it's everyday problems or private issues which he'd never think about discussing with anyone else, not even with Saruyama.

_ "So she's something like to a close female friend with extra benefits..?"_ Rito mulls over before giving her a queasy leer, _"A fact which she always likes taking every chance to remind me of..."_

His eyes waver and fall to the wayside. But even then, something about that statement doesn't feel entirely right to him. Not anymore.

"A penny for your thoughts..?" Momo's voice rings out as she leans into his line of sight and innocently peels up at him, "You've gotten so quiet all of a sudden, Rito-san. Would it have been better if I didn't reveal this to you at all?"

The teen glances back at her, searching for those uneasy answers in the reflection of her gaze, "You... aren't you feeling even the least bit anxious or hesitant about any of this?"

Nervous over whether or not her confession will be accepted. The doubts and fears felt after declaring it to that beloved person.

"Oh my, what a peculiar thing to ask. Is this something for me to truly be ashamed of?"

Rito looks down again, _"Yeah... of course she isn't. Momo isn't like me, knowing exactly who it is that she really loves..."_

He's probably the one pushing his own set of ideals onto her. Yet the words spoken and the look which she gave him were no less undeniably real.

"But... why me? Why now after all this time?"

"Do you really want me to say it? Quite the sinful man, aren't you? Secretly enjoying it when a girl lays out and bares it all to you," she flirtatiously replies.

A few beats pass before he brings his footsteps to a halt. Maybe her teasing remark would have gotten the better of him at a different place and time, but this is a matter far too important to be casually glossed over.

Momo turns, sees his earnest look and shyly glances away, regretting how she hadn't met him with that same level of upfront honesty.

"I never held many expectations, Rito-san, not after confessing to you so suddenly like this... It's merely that I wanted my feelings to be known and made perfectly clear towards you. That's all there is to it."

She bites her lower lip and shakes her head, knowing that it's an outright lie. The third princess had already speculated on how her spoken confession may be received. And the possibility that she could finally bind Rito to her was something which had crossed her mind more than once.

_"It really is too vexing, but Yami-san may have a better grasp of his true character than I do... Rito-san isn't the type of person who'd return my affections due to any form of obligation."_

The pain of uncertainty: that dark and murky in-between. If it meant that she could finally secure a place within his heart, despite how small that space may be, then it didn't matter how underhanded or despicable the tactic was. Somewhere deep down she hates herself for feeling this way, for accepting this result as another means of achieving her one and only good ending.

"Perhaps I always held onto that slim hope as anyone would. But I don't expect our relationship to change so easily, not when you've always had your heart set on someone else," she confesses to the teenage boy besides her, "Yet if somehow you might look more favorably towards the harem plan...

_ —if this causes you to feel a little more passionate towards me—_

… then I can't ask for anything better."

_"That's it? But why..?"_ Rito thinks while staring sadly at her profile, "Why aren't you hoping for anything more out of me?"

"… Because I've always wanted you to be able to choose freely," she speaks reflectively, realizing this fact for the very first time herself, "That I think would be the greatest reward. If it were anything less than a Rito-san who's fully committed and willing, then the harem plan would never last."

His frown sets deeper. He reaches out and grips her shoulder, stopping the princess from distancing herself any further. By neither him nor her, that type of answer isn't good enough to satisfy anyone anymore, "That's not what I'm asking. Forget everyone else for a second here. What is it that you're wishing from me personally, Momo?"

Her chest tightens. That look of quiet intensity piercing straight through her as the teen wholeheartedly awaits her response.

_"Rito-san... do you know? The way I helplessly melt whenever your gaze falls solely on me..."_ she expresses inwardly. Her eyes mist over, the beat of her heart overflowing, "To simply say, 'I love you too...'"

She steps forward, effortlessly slinking into his personal space in only the way she ever could.

"If you ever whisper those magic words in front of any girl, all the while embracing her as if she were the most precious person in your entire world..." she appeals to him, heartfelt and sincere, "Then, without a doubt, she'll surely be yours forever."

Her raw presence: that stifling pressure which makes it nearly impossible for him to resist is absent as she chastely drapes her arms around his neck while bringing her face ever closer.

"It would be lovely if Rito-san were to one day take that special, long-awaited initiative..." she whispers breathlessly; the tenderness in her voice holding a ping of hopeful plead, her half-lidded eyes staring into and reflecting only his own. So close is she that he can feel the breathe of her warmth on his motionless, awaiting lips, "That would be so wonderful... if just this once..."

Palms sweaty, his breathing hiked and heavy: Rito inhales that natural, earthy scent of hers which he so secretly fancies. His whole body is entrapped in numbing stillness, the involuntary twitch of his stiff muscles being the only sign of visible movement.

Vaguely, recollections of two beloved girls who's face, voice and name pop up somewhere in the recesses of his mind.

This feeling of wanting: it's suppose to be something important. However, such fleeting thoughts seem so far away – his overriding senses focus squarely on the minuscule distance between himself and the taste of Momo's lips...

His whole perception is lost in time as he stands there immobile for god knows how long, torn between this singular desire and indecisive rationality.

Inability.

Inactivity.

The girl before him is still waiting. How much longer will this go on? Until he gives in, or until he breaks down?

But just as suddenly as it came, the magic fades once the third princess voluntarily pulls herself away.

He blinks out of his stupor, realizing why this happened.

Another lost opportunity. It was his choice to make yet he failed so miserably. That wasn't even an answer so much as leaving everything blank and allowing the time limit to expire.

Swallowing that throbbing lump back down his throat, his mouth tries formulating the right words, "... M-Momo—"

"Shall we be moving along now..?" she says in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Huh?" the teen utters only to see the princess ducking her head, "Y-Yeah, I guess..."

Sedately, she turns and walks on, leaving Rito to follow after her.

No further words are exchanged. Only the sound of their mismatched footsteps echoing off the dry pavement can be heard in the dead of the night.

Coward.

Pathetic.

Spineless.

Wimp.

Words like those flash through his mind while he soberly looks ahead.

Like a lone flower beginning to wilt from lack of care and sunlight, the way her head is slightly bowed or how her presence seems so dimmed and drained. If this had been a few hours ago, Rito is sure that he'd have missed all of these little signs entirely. It makes him clearly aware that he had never taken the time to truly look at Momo up until now.

His feet start to drag as the troubled teen falls more and more paces behind her, feeling so utterly sick with himself for being unable to give the third princess a proper response.

_ "God... I really am the worst..."_

But even that would be giving himself too much credit. He has no right to empathize with her, not when he hasn't even reached the point of confessing to his own crush, Haruna, after all these years.

The timing was never right, there were too many people around, the moment was always ruined by the strange and unexpected. Time and again, those occurrences always seem to happen to him without fail.

His languid steps finally crawl to a complete stop.

But when it comes right down to it, aren't those reasons nothing more than painful excuses? (4)*

Even after that mistaken confession with Lala at the poolside, he's done nothing to either encourage or resolve the misunderstanding. Simply allowing matters to regress back to how they were before: he's fallen into that same stupid routine of procrastinating between the two.

"Rito-san..?" Momo quietly calls out, noticing his absence from behind her as she stops walking as well.

The small, trivial things which he can never decisively do. Just how is he suppose to get together with Haruna...

—No. How does he expect to be in a relationship with anyone if he can't even do this much for himself?

Beyond the irony of it all, a rue smile escapes the teenager's lips, "... It really is unfair of you, Momo."

She blinks, staring back at him nonplussed, "Pardon..? I don't quite follow what you're saying."

"You have it easy compared to me, since there's a whole lot of other issues that I still have deal with. That's just something which happened to cross my mind just now."

"Haa... I suppose I can see where you'll be facing a greater level of difficulty," the third princess responds hesitantly, unsure of how to deal with the teen's egotistical behavior.

"But even after saying all that, the one who's being the most unfair is me for always thinking about this whole thing so selfishly."

"Rito-san? Just what..?"

Yet all he does is shake his head bemusedly in response. Nothing ever seems to come easily for him, does it? But at this point, adding another factor into this whole love equation doesn't really make much of a difference.

No. That's not entirely right. There's still something else that needs to be done; something more which he wants to do for this lovely girl who only thinks the world of him.

Resolute, he turns to the third princess and gestures with his right hand, "Say, Momo... Would you mind letting me see your phone for a minute?"

* * *

Another day and a bright new morning at Sainan High, where mischief is sure to run abound.

"I don't know, Taichi... Should we really be doing this? What if Momo-san somehow finds out that we've been going through her stuff?"

Throwing his buddy a look of disgust, a shaved-headed student sneers, "We've already come this far, so what's the point of getting cold feet now? And besides, all we gotta do is put her phone back to where it was before she even notices that it's gone."

This is all for the sake of learning more about their esteemed idol after all, since they no longer have the manpower and resources to collect any new material about her nowadays.

Obviously, these two had once belonged to the "Venus Momo Club." Yet ever since they had skipped school on that one fateful day, their beloved VMC and its policies had gone full-blown S&M without them ever knowing the cause as to why.

And so, allying with the other three fans of Nana Asta Deviluke, they both set out to try forming a brand new school club. Yet at the first opportunity, those guys had highjacked the rights by majority rule and forced them into becoming ghost members of the "Justice League of Flatties Club" instead.

Just recalling that past incident sends the skinhead's blood boiling. How dare they steal their idea like that! Those backstabbing, loli-lovin' bastards..! It makes him sick to his stomach to be associated with future pedophile felons like them, since real women are built to have mountainous humps and death-defying curves!

In his button-pressing rage, he accidentally stumbles upon the cellphone's photo album, _"'Rito-san's Lovely Expressions Collection?' What the hell?"_

Whatever it is, there's a crazy amount of images inside this one single folder. However, just as Taichi opens up the latest entry, an unmistakable female voice chides in.

"Might I ask what you're doing?"

Instinctively turning, he comes face-to-face with the idolized princess herself, "M-Mo-Momo-san..! T-This isn't what it looks like—!"

Yet she merely extends an open hand out to him, gesturing for the return of her property which he obediently obliges.

Docile and humbled, Taichi glances around and wonders where the hell his backup support went off to, only to spot him coming down the hall in a completely guiltless manner.

"Yo, Taichi. I've been looking for you everywhere, man. Where've you been?" his so-called buddy pretends to ask, having ditched him after he saw the third princess fast approaching, "Hey, isn't that Momo-san's cellphone? Now you're just snatching things up without even finding out who they belong to first? Not cool, dude."

Taichi grits his teeth while glaring daggers at the other boy. Momo, however, doesn't pay much attention to either of them, checking the contents of her D-Dial before looking back up.

"I'm so sorry to ask this, but could you excuse us for a moment please? There are a few personal questions which I'd like to ask your good friend Taichi-san here, and I would absolutely die of embarrassment if anyone were to overhear," she says while fidgeting adorably. Then she presents the duo with an award-winning smile, "But please don't worry, I'll be sure to return him to you in mint condition once we're finished with our little chat."

"Sure, anything for you, Momo-san! And just so you know, I'm always available too whenever you need my help, so feel free to ask me any time you want," his love-stuck buddy eagerly responds before walking away, full of barely concealed jealousy.

_"Ha! That's what you get for trying to sell me out, ya little punk!"_ the skinhead thinks self-righteously. Brimming with confidence, he turns to address Momo, unknowing of the harsh reality which awaits him.

"Did you see?"

"Eh..?" he blinks and utters dumbly. He must have been imagining things, since there's no way such icy severity can be spoken by that sweet and innocent princess, "Oh..! You mean that pic on your cell?"

He had only caught a glimpse of it, yet that was enough for him to get a general impression of what that photo portrayed.

"But Momo-san... Those rumors aren't true, are they? After taking a quick peek at what's inside, I just had to ask..." the skinhead hesitantly inquires, then he laughs the whole notion off like a bad joke, "No way! As if that could ever happen, right? 'cause Momo-san obviously has better taste in men and would want more than a good-for-nothing senpai like that."

"... So who might you be suggesting? Yourself perhaps?" she asks him after a pregnant pause and Taichi smirks with smug satisfaction, feeling like it's too good to be true. Which he soon finds out how accurate that saying truly is, "Yet to badmouth an outstanding young man like Rito-san... Aren't you just a petty little boy who can only boost himself up by putting others down? Who sneaks around and justifies thievery for the sake of idol worship: never once attempting to know the real me. Is someone like that suitable for me? Are you saying that I should settle for qualities which are so far removed from that of a normal human being?"

"Momo...san?"

The devilish princess points a finger at his chest and moves in for the kill, "Don't make me laugh. A foreseeable, lifelong virgin like you, thinking it right to lecture me on who it is I should be dating. Why not quietly hide yourself away from the eyes of moral society and continue conjuring up delusions of how I should be? Since that seems to be all which you and your merry band of simpleminded comrades can ever hope to achieve."

With that said, Momo flashes her trademark public smile before leaving the poor, emasculated boy in a state of absolute shock. It isn't until a cluster of noisy students pass by does that effectively snap him back to his senses. Like a lightning bolt, he dashes down the hallway to the other side of the school, knowing there's only one man who can help him now.

"Nakajima-san! Nakajima-san!"

Turning, the brown-haired student pushes up his glasses upon spotting his fellow classmate running up to him, "Former club member #47, Tanaka Taichi, huh? What brings you here? I believe we're no longer associated, what with your puny lot still chasing after a mirage of our revered goddess."

Without a shred of dignity, Taichi bows deeply while slapping his hands together over his head, "Forgive me! It's just like what you and everyone from the VMC have been saying all along! I was a fool completely blinded by the truth! Being stepped on, toyed with and ridiculed beyond repair... there's obviously no greater appeal on the face of this earth than a dark and dominating Momo-sama!"

Growing all weepy-eyed, Nakajima clutches his right fist, overcome with emotion as he places his other hand firmly on Taichi's shoulders.

"Well spoken, Tanaka-kun! So you've finally seen the light," he says with pride before proceeding to give his fellow classmate a great big bro-hug, "As chief representative of the VMC, I sincerely welcome your return back into our ranks!"

And on this day, the fan club's numbers increase by one. While everyone else around notes two more weirdos at school worth avoiding from now on.

Meanwhile, the idolized princess in question has already gone back to her classroom in 1-B, where a certain redheaded girl awaits her return.

"So, looks like you managed to find it a-okay."

"Mea-san..." Momo says while shifting her attention away from her phone set, "Allow me to thank you once again for helping me locate my D-Dial."

"Don't mention it. Nana-chan has that exact same model, so I kind of figured this one was probably yours," Mea replies, that deceptively carefree smile of hers spreading ever so slightly, "Yep, I can see why it's so important for you two, since it's an irreplaceable tool that can summon such wonderful plants and animals with a simple push of a button."

"There are other means of course. The D-Dial is simply the most convenient method for us to use," the princess smoothly lies, making a mental note of asking her eldest sister to create a backup for her in the near future. She can't place her complete trust into Mea just yet, especially if the redhead is still making throwaway remarks such as those.

"Oh, isn't that Rito-senpai?" Mea curiously inquires after taking a peek at the phone screen display. Momo snaps her D-Dial shut by reflex, however, it had already been too late, "So that's why you wanted to get your phone back in such a hurry. You must be real happy with how smoothly the harem plan seems to be going lately."

Seeing that it's useless to conceal this fact now, the third princess lets her arm drop back to her side, "Indeed. Though I'd appreciate it very much, Mea-san, if you didn't breath a word of this to anyone, not even to Nana."

"So this will be another little secret just between the two of us? That's fine by me. But why bother keeping a happy occasion like this under wraps?"

She pauses, taking time to consider her answer, "I suppose you can say that I don't want to jinx it for myself."

"Oh? That's not something I'd expect the classy, yet sneaky Momo-chan to ever say. But whatever. Finding these juicy contradictions about you can be wonderful fun in its own little way~"

The school bell rings shortly thereafter and Mea along with the rest of the class soon return to their seats. After taking a glance around to make sure no one else is looking, Momo flips open her cellphone in the midst of a lecture. She then clicks on the first of two icons and enlarges the image, staring fondly at the photo while deeply reminiscing.

* * *

_ "Say, Momo... Would you mind letting me see your phone for a minute?"_

_ "Huh? My D-Dial..?" the princess uttered vacantly, puzzled as she reached into her pocket and handed the multipurpose device over to him._

_ Dejectedly, Momo watched on while the teen fiddled with the buttons on her phone, somewhat afraid of him accidentally summoning an S-rank plant creature from her botanical garden._

_ This entire evening had ended in a spectacular failure. She had already planned on first softening up Rito to the idea of a harem: to accepting others' love for him. So why, at the most crucial of times, did she act so impulsively and reveal her innermost desires to him? Now everything that she had strived for could all be ruined because of that it._

_ Her eyes grew teary as she blinked away rapidly. Tonight should be used as a learning experience; a reminder to herself that she needed to try harder. But even so, that desolate feeling of rejection and defeat still wouldn't leave her._

_ "Oh, there we go..." the teen whispered to himself before raising his voice to an audible volume, "Um, Momo. It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but, ah, I could use some help on figuring out how this item works."_

_ Sniffing, she turned his way and managed to greet him with a brave face, "... Just let me know which menu you're at right now, Rito-san. Onee-sama had created our D-Dials to be user-friendly after al—!"_

_ Suddenly grasped by the shoulders, Momo yelped in surprise upon being pulled closer to the teenager's side._

_ *Click*_

_ Blinking, it took awhile for the flustered princess to even recognize the shuttering sound of her own D-Dial in camera mode. Shifting her focus to what's in front of them, she noticed the small device in Rito's outstretched hand and threw him a quizzical look._

_ "Well, you see... This is something like an apology for the way I froze up on you earlier and how stupidly I've been acting afterwards," he admitted reluctantly._

_ She stared at him for a moment more before looking down with a bittersweet smile, "So, does this photo also serve as a compromise for your answer to me then?"_

_ "Actually, there's a bit more to it than that," he replied, finding it difficult on where to start, "The thing of it is... I don't mind much anymore. Going out with you, that is. Like what me and Yami had just done earlier, only for real this time."_

_ Momo was stunned speechless, scarcely believing what she was hearing._

_ "Ah well, this will probably be more like a trial run than anything else. Since I... don't quite see you in the same way as you see me. But because these mixed-up feelings are a lot less clear, then I think that's all the more reason for me to try and explore what's really there."_

_ This well of happiness swelling up inside – it all felt like she was somehow dreaming, which was why she needed to check for sure, "... Will this be under no uncertain terms or may I ask for a few conditions of my own?"_

_ "Conditions? You mean for the date?" _

_ "Why, yes. As the other half of the participants involved, aren't I entitled to at least one?"_

_ Giving a start, the teenage boy was quick to nip any potential troubles at the bud, "Just so long as it's reasonable, you know..! Don't go asking for too much on our first time out together."_

_ "Oh, you know me, Rito-san. I would never dream of taking advantage of you like that~"_

_ "It's because I know exactly how you are that I'm saying all of this to you in advance..." he wearily explained with his shoulders slumped, "So..? What's your request?"_

_ "Hmmm... I'm not quite sure," she stated upon retrospect and Rito palm-slapped his forehead in response, "Well, I'm certain an idea or two will pop up given enough time. All I ask is that you please try not to forget."_

_ The teen lowered his hand away from his face, unable to argue back; not after seeing her blissful expression as she humbly regarded him like that, "... Another thing, Momo. I've always thought of you as someone really amazing, one of a kind even, with loads of great qualities going for you too. So that's why, even when it comes to things like love and romance, I don't ever want you to feel as if you somehow deserve anything less."_

_ "... Is that a promise..?" she whispered unknowingly. Because in her eyes, there was no one better for her than the earthling boy himself. And if he truly meant every single word... a soft smile blossomed from the bottom of her heart, "I meant the photo here. Can I treat it as a keepsake until our appointed rehearsal date?"_

_ "Sure, I don't see why not," he replied before checking out the snapshot for himself, "But really... It didn't come out as nicely as I thought it would, what with it being kinda blurry and slanted at such a weird angle..."_

_ "Not at all. It's a wonderful sentiment in fact, regardless of how it looks," the princess soundly disagreed, "But if you're truly dissatisfied with it, then we can simply take another one."_

_ Locking her arm around his, she cuddled indecently close to the unsuspecting teen and took her D-Dial back from him._

_ "C-Close..! Aren't you getting a little too close there..?!"_

_ "Since my arm's reach isn't as long as yours, Rito-san, this degree of proximity is an absolute necessity~" Momo merrily replied, omitting the fact that she had made secret use of the camera's zoom-in function in order to back up her claim. It was a reasonable excuse, an excusable reason for her to draw if only a tiny bit closer to him._

_ With the camera lens focused squarely on them, that entire moment was perfectly captured with a bright flash and an automated click._

* * *

Her thoughts stray back to the present time as Momo examines the image in more acute detail.

The first picture is a rather embarrassing shot of herself, something which she would never willingly show to anyone else. It's slightly tilted and off-centered, which results in a good chunk of Rito's head missing from the frame. Not to mention her own face, being far from photogenic as his surprise attack had caught her off guard and terribly abashed. But even though she dislikes seeing herself in such a vulnerable state, the princess can't deny the photo's authenticity and heartwarming appeal.

Switching over, the second picture is definitely more to her style with Rito being the one on full blush mode. That's only natural of course, since she had been pressing herself against the teen in certain locations where the camera lens couldn't quite capture. Though he does deserve some credit for sticking by her, cheek-to-cheek and so much more, without bulging until it was all over.

Grinning widely to herself, Momo wonders how much willpower was needed for him to appear halfway presentable in that one shot. Then she idly entertains another tantalizing thought.

_ "If others saw these photos, I wonder how many would think of us as being a couple?"_

For a moment, the princess considers setting one of them up as her phone's new background but eventually decides against it. Superstitious or not, she doesn't want to trigger any bad end flags involving hand saws, kitchen knives, train accidents or suicide dives. (5)* But maybe later on, when the harem is firmly in place, will she go ahead and display this image proudly.

Bringing her arms above her head, Momo arches her back and gives a long, satisfying stretch, a motion which sparks the immediate interest of every male student within the classroom. Still, this is certainly a step in the right direction. Now if there's only a way to hurry him along into becoming more like her ideal carnivore...

She shakes her head and restrains herself, needing to remember that these things take time. Perhaps she's getting impatient now in wanting to move onto the next level.

And why shouldn't she be? Before today, this had been a situation so surreal that she had never dared dream of this possibility for herself. Yet it's really happening: this miraculous idea that he may genuinely return her feelings for him. Unconditional and real, and most of all chosen from his own free will.

With one final look, Deviluke's third princess closes her D-Dial and pockets it happily.

Yes. Out of all the expressions Yuuki Rito has ever made, by far and wide, these pics are the ones she'll forever adore. Because it's a face he specially reserves, meant only for her. Because it's all about the two of them, being there together.

**~FIN~**

* * *

_**(1) : "Hanasaku Iroha." Or more specifically, a dialogue exchange lifted from a scene in episode 18 which involves the seiyuu for both Ohana/Nana and Nako/Momo.**_

_**(2) : "JoJo's Bizarre Adventures" and the process of getting continuously punched, or in this case repeatedly pumped...**_

_**(3) : From the eroge "Sengoku Rance." A term used by the bang-able ninja Suzume to jokingly explain why she isn't seduced away by the Shimazu Brothers and remains faithful to the protagonist, Rance.**_

_**(4) : From the shounen series "Naruto." Anyone who's invested into the whole pairing debate over there will probably know where this term comes from. If you don't, well consider yourself lucky that you can spare yourself some of the headache.**_

_**(5) : "School Days," 'nuff said. A reference which I can see Momo easily knowing due to her love for eroge/bishoujo games.**_


End file.
